Sprint announced the availability of Ethernet Wave Service for business customers, promising secure, always-on wireless and wireline connectivity with maximum data security and privacy.
Sprint Ethernet Wave Service is now available in 88 U.S. markets and expansion will continue through 2014. As a fixed, point-to-point 100 percent dedicated high-speed connection, it offers 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GigE), 40GigE and 100GigE speeds. The secure, always-on connectivity with 24×7 network monitoring helps to ensure the service is available when needed and is performing optimally. Sprint is offering flat-rate pricing.
Sprint’s Ethernet Solutions portfolio also includes Ethernet access, which is available today in 149 U.S. markets and 81 countries around the globe.
Sprint said its Ethernet Wave Service is enabled by its Network Vision initiative, which uses a Ciena 6500-based architecture for delivery of 10GigE, 40GigE and 100GigE wavelengths. Sprint is leveraging Ciena’s WaveLogic 3 coherent optical processors to scale its existing infrastructure to speeds of 100G, with the ability to scale to 400G links in the future.
“While Carrier Ethernet is becoming a ubiquitous service provided locally and globally, Sprint’s Ethernet Wave Service offers businesses the flexibility, higher speeds and scalability needed for emerging applications,” said Mike Sapien, principal analyst with Ovum Research. “It is just as important that these services are backed by service level agreements that will deliver end-to-end performance requirements with the high-speed, high-bandwidth transport service. Sprint already has a strong market reputation in service management from our survey data, and the addition of new Ethernet transport options and additional coverage will complement their solutions portfolio.”
Mike Fitz, vice president of wireline for Sprint, added, “We’re deploying new network technologies designed to meet the speed and capacity demands of today’s business-critical applications and to allow businesses to simplify network operations through familiar Ethernet technology. Leveraging the investment in state-of-the-art converged packet-optical transport technology as part of our Network Vision, we are enhancing our industry-recognized wireline network to carry a suite of powerful, higher speed bandwidth Ethernet services. Our customized approach to solving business challenges and proven success in offering managed network solutions makes us uniquely positioned to successfully support high-performance Ethernet services.”
Earlier this month, Sprint and Ciena announced two milestones in speed and capacity on Sprint’s network:
- Sprint has deployed one of the longest 100 Gbps circuits in the United States with a live transmission that required no signal regeneration over a distance of 2,100 km, or 1,304 miles, between Chicago and Fort Worth, Texas. The 100 Gbps link uses Ciena WaveLogic 3 coherent optical processors on the 6500 Packet Optical Platform
- Last month, the companies successfully completed a live 400Gbps trial on Sprint’s network in the Silicon Valley area using existing Sprint fiber infrastructure and Ciena’s 6500 with WaveLogic 3 cards. The high-capacity link operated without error. The companies said this demonstrated the viability of using 400Gbps channels alongside existing channels carrying live customer traffic.
As announced in 2012, Sprint is upgrading its optical backbone network with Ciena’s 6500 Packet-Optical Platform as part of its Network Vision initiative.
Ciena has been a strategic supplier to Sprint since 1998.
