Australia’s wholesale open-access broadband provider NBN Co is deploying Infinera’s Transcend software-defined networking (SDN) solution into its transit network.
The SDN-based dynamic service rerouting capabilities for dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM)-based networks allow network operators to restore customer services by automatically rerouting traffic when faults occur. It will be deployed across the provider’s 60,000km fibre optic transit network - a backbone network of fibre optic cables that links hubs across Australia to the wider nbn broadband access network that connects homes and businesses.
This network moves large aggregate volumes of data between locations, delivering capacity to homes and businesses. The network connects to NBN Co’s 121 points of. The reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) technology enhancements introduced on the Infinera 7300 Series Multi-Haul Transport Platform will allow NBN Co to increase its network resiliency and reliability by introducing automatic service restoration capabilities across the network.
The network enhancements are based on Infinera’s 7300 multi-haul DWDM platform with its Transcend SDN solution spanning several transport layer technologies – such as optical DWDM layers and electrical Optical Data Unit (ODU) switching layers – to provide end-to-end service control and enable SDN-based service control for Infinera’s optical and packet-optical transport portfolio. It also offers open and standards-based RESTful northbound interfaces to provide real-time, programmable multi-layer control to higher-layer controllers and provides a foundation to introduce programmable networking and automation in the NBN Co environment.
NBN Co's chief network deployment officer, Kathrine Dyer commented: ‘The Transcend SDN solution was deployed and integrated with our systems, giving us the capability to increase service availability to some of the most remote locations across Australia. This will give our network increased resiliency and help ensure that our customers get the best possible experience when migrating to NBN Co’s broadband access network.’
Bob Jandro, senior vice president, worldwide sales at Infinera added: ‘Transcend’s service restoration and management capabilities are ideal for network operators like NBN Co to differentiate themselves in a competitive market by providing the most reliable services.’
Infinera has also been helping to enhance networks in mainland Europe, with Italy’s international service provider, Sparkle deploying its XT-3600 platform for the new Nibble Network and in America, through its partnership with Verizon, for which it is supplying automation technology to help enable the migration of its time-division multiplexing (TDM) network to a new Ethernet-based network.
