New Opportunities, New Growth Beyond P-OTS

By Jimmy Mizrahi

We’ve come a long way. A long way from the early days of communications, that is. Today, we no longer have to rely on drums, fire or birds to help us communicate. But we do have to rely on infrastructure – an infrastructure that’s evolved as our communications needs have evolved.

This evolution, however, has been random at best and even chaotic at times. As a result, network operators, and particularly mobile operators, have had to scramble to keep up with a customer base that’s demanding increasingly advanced services, as well as a traffic mix that’s becoming primarily packet with some legacy TDM voice. Of course, all this change entails compromises in capacity, scalability and operational challenges, and increased costs.

To help operators cope with these challenges, infrastructure vendors introduced the P-OTS (packet-optical transport system), a technology aimed at bringing together multiple layers of technology into one platform and, by doing so, increasing efficiency and lowering the cost per bit. That worked well. Up to a point.

Problem is, most first-generation P-OTS platforms are based on yesterday’s technology and architecture and can really only offer a "partial" convergence solution. That’s because while P-OTS do provide some level of packet-optical integration, in many cases a separate CESR (Carrier Ethernet switch/router) is needed alongside the P-OTS for full functionality, so it’s still a two-box solution. What’s more, multiple management systems are needed to support the different layers, negating any operational efficiencies.

And so, P-OTS fell short of becoming a true convergence solution. What P-OTS were successful at, however, was illustrating the value of packet-optical integration. It was these experiences with P-OTS that led to the development of a "beyond next-generation transport" solution: the OMLT, or Optimized Multi-Layer Transport system.

The OMLT is an innovative new platform that takes P-OTS to the next level, converging the full functionality of a CESR with an advanced optical networking box into a single unit under a single management system that spans Layer 0-3. It’s more refined than a P-OTS solution because it offers:

• Multi-layer convergence: opex/capex savings and a lower cost per bit via a smaller footprint and reduced power consumption
• Modularity and flexibility: low entry cost and pay-as-you-grow scalability by way of a modular, flexible architecture that won’t strand investment
• Single NMS: quick time-to-market for new services made possible by operational efficiencies

For mobile operators, the OMLT provides new opportunities for growth by effectively supporting the high demand for bandwidth that’s fueled by new multimedia services and the evolution to 4G. It also reduces the cost of building and maintaining networks to ensure that supporting advanced services will not affect profitability. And it helps operators become more competitive by enabling the introduction of new services more quickly and easily. The multi-layered architecture of the OMLT enables it to do all this without compromising on functionality and without any cost penalties.

The OMLT is optimized for mobile backhauling and hub interconnectivity. As traffic demands grow with the shift from 2G to 3G to 4G, the OMLT offers a low entry cost in the initial deployment providing traffic aggregation at Layer 2 and 3, and the ability to scale as traffic increases. When the network is nearing full capacity, a WDM layer can be added to the system by just plugging in additional cards, increasing capacity by up to 80 times.

What mobile operators need now and going forward is a beyond next-generation packet-optical transport solution that allows them to manage growth efficiently, cost effectively and flexibly in a constantly evolving network environment. That’s the OMLT!

Jimmy Mizrahi leads the product management team for the NG packet-optical product lines at ECI Telecom. Prior to this role, he worked in Strategic Marketing at ECI, specializing in alternative carrier applications for utilities and cable operators worldwide.