Telecom Namibia, the incumbent fixed-line operator, is deploying the African country's first optical dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) network.
The network will increase the operator's transmission capacity to up to 1.6 Terabits per second. New 10G and 40G channels - individual beams of light each carrying data at 10 or 40 gigabits per second - will provide low-latency services and improved international connectivity.
Nokia Siemens Networks will provide the DWDM equipment and related services for the deployment, the benefits of which will also be extended to the neighbouring countries of Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
The DWDM deployment will take place on the existing national fibre-optic network of Telecom Namibia, and partially on the optical ground wire (OPGW) routes of NamPower, the state-owned power utility firm.
The network will be connected to the West Africa Cable System (WACS), Namibia's first ever undersea fibre-optic link to the global submarine cable networks that landed on its shores in February this year. This will ensure increased bandwidth and higher data speeds, along with improved direct international connectivity for Telecom Namibia subscribers. The DWDM network will also be extended to the borders of neighbouring countries. As a result, operators in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana will benefit from higher capacity and improved international connectivity through WACS.
“Nokia Siemens Networks will provide a scalable and cost-effective transport backbone to address the anticipated increase in transmission volumes, especially with WACS expected to launch in the first quarter of 2012. The DWDM network is also completing yet another element in our Next Generation Network as part of our Strategic Blueprint,” said Hein Bader, chief operations officer, Telecom Namibia.
Nokia Siemens Networks will provide its hiT 7300 DWDM platform that offers connections with low latency; brings down operating costs; and speeds up service delivery. The hiT 7300 platform is part of the company's Liquid Transport architecture that makes the optical transport layer more flexible and software-configurable, thus allowing for more cost-effective traffic transmission*.
In addition, Nokia Siemens Networks will enable Telecom Namibia to add capacity as and when it requires, by simply adding a transponder to the DWDM system. The operator will also benefit from simplified network operations and end-to-end network performance monitoring with Nokia Siemens Networks' network management system.
The contract includes delivery of services such as installation, network planning and optimisation and hardware, software and competence development services.
“Nokia Siemens Networks helps operators such as Telecom Namibia reduce the cost of transition to high-capacity optical transport networks by optimising the use of existing fibre. Our optical network products and services offer flexibility and scalability to eliminate the need for large upfront investments, while equipping operators to deal with growing bandwidth demands effectively,” said Dimitri Diliani, head of the Africa region at Nokia Siemens Networks.
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Telecom Namibia
Telecom Namibia is the only integrated telecommunications solutions provider operating in the country. It was established in 1992 with a statutory obligation to provide and maintain the telecommunications infrastructure and services in Namibia. With a transmission network that is 100% digital, the company provides a comprehensive portfolio of communication services and solutions in broadband, data and voice over fixed, fixed-wireless and mobile platforms. The company places emphasis on continuing customer service quality enhancements and innovations. www.telecom.na
Nokia Siemens Networks
Nokia Siemens Networks is a leading global enabler of telecommunications services. With its focus on innovation and sustainability, the company provides a complete portfolio of mobile, fixed and converged network technology, as well as professional services including consultancy and systems integration, deployment, maintenance and managed services. It is one of the largest telecommunications hardware, software and professional services companies in the world. Operating in 150 countries, its headquarters are in Espoo, Finland. www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com
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Notes to editors:
* Liquid Transport: Part of Nokia Siemens Networks' Liquid Net, Liquid Transport connects the network's access and core functions to ensure services can be delivered fluidly and quickly to all possible clients (anything from a base station to a business customer), while keeping costs as low as possible.
Liquid Transport achieves flexibility and scalability by making the optical transport layer, the lowest layer with the least costs, more software-configurable, while multi-layer optimisation ensures that as much traffic as possible flows across the most efficient network layer. It also introduces a multi-layer intelligent control plane for flexible and rapid network operation and service provisioning. For example, using Liquid Transport, it is possible to offload routers, achieving up to 60% savings.
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