SUPERCOMM – Verizon Communications Inc. announced Thursday it is transforming its global network into a single, higher-capacity platform that combines optical transport with advanced packet-switching technology. Migration to the so-called packet optical transport platform (P-OTP) network will be a multiyear endeavor.
Verizon currently has more than 2,000 optical transport platforms deployed in key metro and regional locations in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The latest optical switching gear also can handle TDM transmissions or packet traffic, leading to a single, high-capacity intelligent network.
By incorporating the latest evolution of wavelength-selection switches (WSSs), the Verizon P-OTP network now will support eight fiber degrees, or directions, as opposed to the previous four fiber degrees. Each of those eight fiber degrees will support an additional 44 wavelengths in each direction, bringing the total to 88 wavelengths. Because of these additional fiber directions, the P-OTP network will bolster Verizon’s global mesh capabilities, a technology that creates additional paths to reroute traffic in the event of multiple cable breaks or network disruptions.
OTP also improves performance, provisioning and efficiency by routing wavelengths without the typical optical-to-electrical-to-optical conversion that can affect the quality of the signal. Also, fewer pieces of equipment are needed, thereby reducing the interval to deploy new services by limiting the number of touch-points in the network.
Complementing Verizon’s metro and regional packet optical platform strategy is Verizon’s Ultra Long Haul (ULH) network. Since 2004, Verizon has deployed 58,000 km (36,000 miles) of ULH in the United States, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Verizon has plans to integrate packet capabilities into its ULH network by early 2011.
