Verizon brings 100G to the U.S. metro network

Verizon (NYSE: VZ) has begun its latest effort to enhance its U.S. metro network with 100G, bringing what it says is better latency and improved scalability that it has seen in deploying the technology in its long-haul network.

For this deployment, the service provider is leveraging the Fujitsu FLASHWAVE 9500 and the Tellabs 7100 platforms to provide connectivity to each of its carrier and business customers.

Making the switch to 100G in the metro is a logical step for Verizon. The telco has deployed a lot of ROADM networks in metro and built all of the FiOS markets using ROADM transport in the metro.

However, this migration does not require a rip and replace of existing equipment, but rather leveraging and extending what's already there.

"Now for both of the platforms we use, the 100G software is available so we're in the process of testing it and ultimately upgrading the embedded base to the software release," said Dave Templeton, manager, Optical Transport Network Architecture & Design for Verizon, in an interview with FierceTelecom. "At that point we can literally put 100G in the metro and any of the FiOS markets and beyond the FiOS markets where we have the ROADMs embedded."

Similar to its long-haul network, Verizon said the implementation of 100G in the metro will afford Verizon with additional space and power savings because it requires less equipment than traditional 10G technology.

The dominant applications for 100G in the metro would be to supply 100 Gigabit Ethernet (100GbE) and creating new network efficiencies in the metro network.

"Any of our major customers that want 100 GigE is primarily where we would go," Templeton said. "Now that we have 100G wavelengths in our metro IOF networks we're going to have the 10x10 muxponder cards available so some of this will also be used to make the metro more efficient."

Templeton added that if we had "10 10 Gig wavelengths that all have the same A and Z end putting a 10x10 muxponder card on will help us free up 9 wavelengths."

This latest metro deployment builds on an initial foray to add 100G into this portion of the network it began in 2012. At that time, it announced it deployed Ciena's control-plane technology to simplify network management and reduce optical circuit provisioning time.

The service provider has been a bit of a trailblazer in the 100G race. Since conducting a field trial in 2007, it has deployed 39,000 miles of 100G technology on its global IP network.

For more:
- see the release

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Updated article on April 17 with direct quotes from Dave Templeton, manager, Optical Transport Network Architecture & Design for Verizon.