Comcast Business has notched a 10-year, $9.3 million contract from the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) to deploy Ethernet gateways. DISA will use the commercial Ethernet gateways to provision Ethernet connections to its Defense Information Systems Network (DISN) in the Northeastern U.S.
The contract awarded to Comcast Business was part of the U.S. Department of Defense's decision four years ago to migrate from legacy point-to-point public switch telephone network circuits (PSTN) to Ethernet connections in order to lower telecommunications costs and improve efficiencies.
The switch to Ethernet is taking place across 12 regions, and the Ethernet connections will provide coverage to the lower 48 states and the District of Columbia.
Comcast Business will deliver its Ethernet Virtual Private Line (EVPL) service to fulfill DISA’s network requirements. Comcast Business said its EVPL service helps improve application performance across a network with a private, point-to-multipoint network design between multiple locations.
EVPL also offers the potential for performance improvements and managed cost compared to legacy Wide Area Network (WAN) technologies such as T1 lines, Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS), Frame Relay, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), and private lines.
DISA provides enterprise network and IT infrastructure to support the requirements of the U.S. Department of Defense’s more than 40 military services, combatant commands and support organizations worldwide.
“This award lets us do our part to support the nation. Transforming DISA’s network to an Ethernet-based solution will deliver a performance-based network to DISA and its mission partners,” said Ken Folderauer, vice president, federal government sales, Comcast Business, in a statement. “The U.S. Government is one of the largest IT buyers in the world. Only the very best earn their trust and Comcast Business is honored to be on that short list. We look forward to continuing to build out this incredible partnership with DISA.”
Compared to other cable operators, mainly Cox Business, Comcast Business arrived on the Ethernet scene a bit late, but has since built out a large portfolio across its footprint.
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