BT announced that it has established the world`s first Gigabit Ethernet link running over dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM) equipment on its LEAnet high speed Internet protocol (IP) testbed network.
The research project, achieved in collaboration with Lucent Technologies, is a major step in demonstrating high bandwidth multimedia applications. It combines the strengths of DWDM, as the key to high speed transport capacity for future multi-service networks, with Gigabit Ethernet, an open networking standard based on a long line of Ethernet technology going back to the early 1970s. This heritage makes it attractive to the IT industry, as operators find it familiar.
The network link operates between BT`s advanced communications and technology centre, at Adastral Park, Marltesham and Cambridge. BT will be making the link available for experimental purposes to leading technology players in Cambridge, including members of the Cambridge Network and the University.
Stewart Davies, BT`s director of advanced communications engineering said: "By creating advanced networks and experimenting with them we are learning about their capabilities and implications, for our business and customers` businesses."
Mark Clarke, Lucent Technologies` UK director for BT said: "To date, Ethernet has been viewed as relevant only in the local area network environment. In collaboration with BT, we have brought Gigabit Ethernet to the wide area networking environment by running it over long distance.
"The project opens opportunities for operators to offer new services by using this proven and ubiquitous technology. Furthermore, it will be increasingly relevant for evolving networks, in a campus environment with fibre optic connectivity."
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Gigabit Ethernet
Gigabit Ethernet is a local area network transmission standard that provides a data rate of 1 billion bits per second (one Gigabit). Gigabit Ethernet is defined in the IEEE 802.3 standard and the first product versions of it are now available.
Testing on the link started in July 1999. It uses Lucent WaveStar OLS 80G DWDM and Gigabit Ethernet optical transborder units. DWDM nodes are located at Adastral Park and Cambridge, allowing the connection of a pair of gigabit routers over the 107 km link.
The link speed currently deployed is 1.25 Gigabits / second, giving 1.0 Gigabit / second useful native Ethernet per channel on the DWDM system, providing a total useful data speed for the single fibre strand of 16 Gigabits / second. While a major advance, this represents no more than a start on what will shortly be possible.
BT has had a presence in South Africa since 1994. Today, BT has an expanding business presence in the rest of Africa. This is part of BT`s strategy of building an international network infrastructure, human resources, partnerships and alliances to enable it to deliver communications services to multinational corporations, their extended enterprises and major national organisations anywhere in the world.