Verizon lights up European long-haul 100 Gbps backbone link

Verizon (NYSE: VZ) is fulfilling more of its 100 Gbps desires as it nears completion of a multi-vendor 100 Gbps Ethernet link for the IP backbone on a segment of its European long-haul network.

This latest deployment follows Verizon's deployment of a 100 Gbps ultra long haul optical transmission system on its European backbone network between Paris to Frankfurt last December. Leveraging the same 555 mile route, Verizon will now deploy 100 Gbps router-to-router technology.

At the heart of this latest deployment are routers from Juniper Networks and Ciena's 100G Ethernet coherent optical transport solution. Verizon claims that this combination of products will enable its IP backbone routers are more efficiently transported on the underlying 100 Gbps wavelengths, adding that end result is increased capacity and performance.

"This latest 100G Ethernet advancement is further confirmation of Verizon's commitment to the next-generation technology, which is vital to meet the continued demand for IP-based services and applications from both wired and wireless broadband devices," said Ihab Tarazi, vice president of global network planning for Verizon in a release.

Europe isn't the only market where Verizon is trialing 100 Gbps technology, nor will it be the last either. At the time it launched its initial Paris to Frankfurt route, Stu Elby, vice president of network architecture for Verizon, said that the carrier will begin looking at upgrading existing 10 Gbps systems that are showing similar signs of exhaust to 100 Gbps with Nortel, which will soon become Ciena, Nokia Siemens Networks and Alcatel Lucent in the U.S. market.

From a larger trend perspective, latest move could serve as a proof point to itself and other incumbent (AT&T, Qwest and Australia's Telstra) and competitive providers (Lightower) that are looking at similar 100 Gbps deployments on their respective long-haul networks.

For more:
- see the release

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