Level 3 is expanding its Metro 2.0 Ethernet platform and SDN solutions to the Asia-Pacific region, a move that capitalizes on its efforts to drive hybrid networking services into more markets.
Current and new enterprise customers will be able to access Level 3’s Ethernet platform from two access points each in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore. Level 3 has a total of six access points in the region.
Having operated in Asia Pacific since 2004, Level 3 is hardly a novice to the Asia-Pacific business services market. The service provider has 14 on-net markets throughout Asia Pacific with service reach to more than 50 markets in the region.
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Level 3 offers global cloud and data center connectivity to businesses in the region, with on-ramps to AWS as well as to Microsoft Azure in Singapore.
Besides Ethernet services, Level 3 offers customers in the region Virtual Private Networks (VPN), Direct Internet Access, managed services, unified communications, content delivery networks (CDN) and security solutions.
Fulfilling Ethernet goals
Previously, Level 3 expanded its Ethernet presence in the United States and more recently across 27 locations in Europe.
Anthony Christie, CMO for Level 3, told FierceTelecom that the Ethernet expansion in Asia Pacific is a fulfillment of its previously stated expansion goals.
“When we made the announcement of the Ethernet build out in North America and EMEA, we said we’d extend it to Asia,” Christie said. “The net of this is we did what we said we were going to do, which is to invest in our infrastructure that has the same look and feel that we have in North America and Europe.”
Eyeing hybrid networks
The Ethernet expansion in Asia Pacific is not only the latest element of a multigeography effort to expand its presence, but also to drive further hybrid networking growth.
Hybrid networking is the concept that calls for a network that contains two or more communications standards in one network design.
“This march towards hybrid IT and hybrid networks is the mega trend,” Christie said. “Independent of where the enterprise is along that journey, we need to be able to take an existing MPLS network and make that hybrid to get there.”
Christie added that it can help an enterprise make the hybrid network transition regardless of what stage they are at in deploying next-gen services.
“We know we need to be access agnostic and network agnostic,” Christie said. “It’s better to go to these customers and talk about what problems they are trying to solve versus this is the product I have and is what I want to solve your problem with.”
While Ethernet is the key focus for Level 3, the service provider sees it as part of a broader set of services that it can deliver to large enterprise customers.
Level 3 recently announced the deployment of DDoS scrubbing centers in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore, for example.
“Less than a month ago, we launched our DDoS capability expanding into Asia, which are the same markets where we now have Ethernet capabilities there as well,” Christie said.
Additionally, Level 3’s new Asia-Pacific Ethernet presence will enable customers to access more cloud providers.
“A big part of this Ethernet offer is the direct connectivity to Microsoft Azure and Amazon in Asia Pacific, which is what customers are using our Ethernet products in North America and EMEA today as well today,” Christie said.