Verizon has completed deployment of its national IP MPLS backbone, which provides the basis for its “Enterprise Advance” growth initiative. Since announcing the Enterprise Advance growth initiative in November 2002, Verizon has completed construction on nine regional rings connecting the company’s local networks and launched national services. The MPLS network consists of some 200 routers deployed in 56 markets. The core network has routers in 13 cities across the country: Atlanta; Boston; Chicago; Denver; Dallas-Fort Worth; Los Angeles; New York; Newark; Philadelphia; Reston.; Seattle; San Francisco; and Tampa, Fla. Verizon offers various means of access, including Frame Relay, ATM and transparent local area network service (TLS).
Over the next 30 days, Verizon plans to launch national services, such as IP-virtual private network (IP-VPN) and national TLS. The IP-VPN will provide the foundation for enterprise VoIP services, which Verizon expects to launch later this year. http://www.verizon.com
- Verizon is using Fujitsu’s FLASHWAVE 7600 regional WDM system, FLASHWAVE 7200 transponders, and FLASHWAVE 4500 core transport MSPP system for the nine regional rings in the national network serving its Enterprise Advance initiative. Fujitsu’s FLASHWAVE 4500 MSPP platform was also used extensively throughout the network as a Multi-Service Provisioning Platform (MSPP) to provide advanced services, like Ethernet over SONET, and aggregate traffic generated from Enterprise Advance business. Verizon is also using Fujitsu’s FLASHWAVE 4500 core transport system, the FLASHWAVE 4300 aggregation system and the FLASHWAVE 4100 access system in their regulated network. The FLASHWAVE 4000 products feature advanced data functionality and traffic grooming to enable a wide range of multiservice solutions for metro interoffice and access applications.
- In March, Ciena announced that Verizon is deploying its DN 7100 and DN 7200 multiservice switches to support its Enterprise Advance network expansion initiative. Specifically, Verizon plans to deploy nationwide the DN 7 product family for Fast Packet services (including Frame Relay and ATM) and other multiservice applications.
- In November 2003 — one year after unveiling an ambitious plan to expand its high-speed data network nationwide — Verizon Communications announced that it had closed over 900 sales with more than 550 of its largest customers, including 65 Fortune 500 corporations as well as many educational institutions. Verizon’s Enterprise Advance portfolio offers Frame Relay, ATM, SONET and Ethernet-over-SONET connectivity.
- In October 2003, Cisco Systems confirmed that Verizon Communications had selected the Cisco 12000 Series Router platform in its national IP VPN network. The platform, which will be used to deliver Layer 3 IP/MPLS VPN services, will be deployed as Verizon’s Local Access Transport Area (LATA) core router as well as one of the service edge router platforms for Verizon’s Enterprise Advance initiative.
- In June 2003, Verizon awarded a multi-year contract to Juniper Networks for its E-series edge routers. The equipment will be used to consolidate a wide range of IP-based services in a single platform over a variety of media including leased line, Frame Relay, ATM, DSL, Ethernet and wireless. The first phase of the new deployment will support Verizon’s “Enterprise Advance” initiative.