MCI introduced its portfolio of next-generation Ethernet services. The announcement coincides with the completion of both field and customer trials of MCI Converged Packet Access (CPA) technology in the Chicago area.
MCI’s Converged Packet Access (CPA) leverages Ethernet and MPLS. The architecture consolidates all services – Frame Relay, Private IP, IP VPN, Ethernet, Private Line, and voice – onto a single, customer Ethernet interface (10bT, 100bT and Gig E). Once an initial physical connection is established, MCI customers can logically provision capacity and services as needed without requiring physical changes to the network. MPLS tunneling technology is utilized to create logical channels that securely separate customer’s services.
The Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. (CME) was one of the first MCI customers to move live traffic among customers onto MCI’s CPA platform. MCI’s Private Line Ethernet Services are used to connect more than 600 customers so trades are quickly received and transacted. CME will also utilize MCI’s Ethernet Services to keep up with the rapid growth and international expansion of its e-trading platform into seven new European hubs as well as open its first Asia-Pacific hub this summer.
The equipment configuration for the field trial relied on the Tellab 8860 multi-service router, the Fujitsu FLASHWAVE 4500 Multiservice Provisioning Platform (MSPP), the ANDA EtherReach 2200 CPE and ANDA EtherEdge 4000 edge aggregation device.
MCI is launching its CPA architecture in 24 additional cities across the U.S. by year-end. Some of those cities include Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Minneapolis, Newark, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C./Baltimore.
MCI’s expanded Ethernet portfolio will include:
- Global Data Link Ethernet (GDLE) Services, an end-to-end global private line service, that allows customers to connect geographically dispersed local and wide area networks via a highly secure, reliable and scalable platform. Service will initially be available from the U.S. to several European countries, including the UK, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland.
- Private Line Ethernet Services, which enables U.S. businesses to connect locations nationwide,
- Metro Private Line Ethernet Service, which connects business sites within the same region,
- MCI Storage Transport Service, which enables companies to more easily implement storage area networking solutions (SANS),
- and Internet Dedicated Ethernet Service, which allows companies to connect to the Internet using very high bandwidth, ranging from 1 Mbps to 1 Gbps.
Ethernet is also being added as an access option for MCI’s flagship MPLS-based VPN and Private IP services.
MCI’s new Ethernet offerings will be available on-net via MCI’s fiber-lit buildings and off-net in select locations beginning in July. Unlike traditional data pricing models, MCI’s Ethernet services are sold on a per megabit basis.
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- MCI’s Converged Packet Access (CPA) architecture has four key components: (1) an Ethernet traffic aggregator; (2) a new Layer 2 and TDM grooming infrastructure; (3) an optical add-drop multiplexer; and (4) a packet-enabled service edge. This equipment allows MCI to aggregate traffic originating from one large business customer or many small business customers in a multi-tenant business building across a single, secure network access circuit. MCI is using an Ethernet over SONET infrastructure.