Nice win
Electric Lightwave Chooses Nortel (Northern Telecom) to Provide Optical Networking Solution for Western U.S. Network Build
ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Electric Lightwave (Nasdaq: ELIX), one of the nation's leading integrated communications provider, will deploy Nortel's (Northern Telecom's) (NYSE: NT; TSE: NTL) high capacity optical networking solution in a 3,000-mile western SONET ring, currently under construction. As part of a five-year agreement estimated at US$150 million, the network will carry traffic over a high-capacity network scaleable up to 320 Gbps, using Nortel's 10 Gbps four-fiber ring architecture with Dense-Wavelength Division Multiplexing (D-WDM) and will be in service by third quarter of 1999. Electric Lightwave's Network Control Center (NCC) will feature Nortel's Integrated Network Management (INM) solution. The contract was announced today at the National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference (NFOEC) in Orlando, which continues until September 17.
Electric Lightwave's new network builds consist primarily of Nortel's S/DMS TransportNode OC-192 10 Gbps systems and Nortel's Multi-wavelength Optical Repeater (MOR) Plus System. Nortel's MOR Plus System supports up to 32 wavelengths, enabling Electric Lightwave's network to carry 320 Gbps per fiber. The MOR Plus also supports voice and data traffic at 2.5 and 10 Gbps on a single fiber.
Electric Lightwave's long haul routes already include links between Portland and Seattle, Portland and Spokane, as well as Phoenix and Las Vegas, the SouthWest FiberNet route. All regional routes are carrying voice, data and Internet traffic for business communications, and interconnect Electric Lightwave's facilities-based Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs). The network will be configured in four-fiber Bi-Directional Line Switched Rings (BLSR) for ultimate reliability and bandwidth management.
"As a truly integrated communications provider, we intend to interconnect our Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) via our own facilities-based long haul networks," said Todd Hanson, vice president of engineering, Electric Lightwave. "Using Nortel's fiber optic technology we can offer a competitive and technologically advanced solution with specialization in WAN, LAN and other data applications that translate into better business for our customers."
Electric Lightwave has a presence in 83 municipalities, and is a full-service telecommunications provider to its customers. In addition to Nortel's local and high capacity optical networking products, Electric Lightwave's network uses Nortel's DMS-500 Local/Long Distance switching system which provides local and long distance switched services, as well as Nortel's AccessNode Digital Loop Carrier (DLC) product.
"Electric Lightwave has brought a modern day meaning to pioneering the west," said Mike Unger, president Optical Networks, Nortel. "In 1990 they were able to see the future need of high-bandwidth applications, and today are offering the commerce market a new alternative way to improve communications, thereby improving the way they do business."
Nortel's Integrated Network Management (INM) system, which simplifies network management tasks through an advanced point-and-click graphical network interface, will also be used to manage Electric Lightwave's long haul networks and MANs. This platform provides Electric Lightwave with fault management, provisioning, inventory control, and software upgrade capabilities from Electric Lightwave's Network Control Center. In addition, Electric Lightwave will be able to partition the INM system to allow customers a view of their own networks via the World Wide Web.
Electric Lightwave Inc. (Nasdaq: ELIX) is an integrated communications provider offering data, Internet access and broadband transport services to businesses nationwide. In the western United States, the company is a full-service provider offering local and long distance telephone services, videoconferencing and prepaid services to business customers. The company is headquartered in Vancouver, Wash. Visit Electric Lightwave on the World Wide Web at www.eli.net.
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