Telecommunications company, Optus, has upgraded its inter-capital fibre network to connect Cairns via Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Adelaide, to Perth.
The network upgrade delivers wavelength links up to 100 Gigabytes per second (Gbps), delivering a combined capacity 10 times larger than previously available.
In collaboration with Alcatel-Lucent, the upgrade is said to deliver a flexible transport network for wholesale and branded customers.
“A vast country like Australia presents unique challenges for network deployment. Through these upgrades, we are supporting Optus to enhance user experience and lay the foundation for future service growth,” Alcatel-Lucent president IP routing and transport, Basil Alwan, said.
According to Optus Networks acting managing director, Dennis Wong, the telco’s strategic decision to upgrade from 10Gbps straight to 100Gbps per wavelength, was a key technology step to even higher speed services.
“Optus continuously assesses new technologies that will enable us to deliver higher capacity from our fibre assets when the feasible technologies become commercially viable,” he said.
Optus wholesale, satellite and SMB, managing director, Rob Parcell, said the upgrade supports the changing needs of customers including increasing capacity demands across Optus’ wholesale and branded business lines alike.
“Investment in this type of network capability means we can reliably scale the delivery of high-speed, low latency services over a resilient high capacity network interconnecting Cairns to Perth for business and government and other carriers through our wholesale channel,” Parcell said.
“There is exponential demand for high-speed connectivity, driven by growth in Cloud computing, Datacentres and subsea cable upgrades. We’re looking to meet this demand while at the same time opening up new markets which allows us to remain competitive,” he added.
