For those who don't remember GTE deal, here is the article
GTE builds new 'Net backbone
By Denise Pappalardo
Network World, 4/20/98
Cambridge, Mass. - GTE
Internetworking is beefing up its
Internet backbone by building
new facilities that will offer
users significantly more
bandwidth and enhanced
quality-of-service (QoS) features.
GTE Internetworking, GTE
Corp.'s Internet service provider
subsidiary, earlier this month
announced it will deploy Ascend
Communications, Inc. ATM and
frame relay switches throughout
the ISPs new Internet backbone
network, called the Global
Network Infrastructure (GNI).
Initially, the ISP will roll out 30
Ascend B-STDX 9000, CBX 500
and GX 550 carrier-grade frame
relay, multiservice and ATM
switches, respectively. The
devices will be used throughout
GTE Internetworking's sites in
nearly 30 cities.
GTE Internetworking also is
rolling out Ascend's IP Navigator
software, which can support IP
virtual private networks (VPN)
across the switches with
guaranteed QoS. IP Navigator
will let network administrators
map IP quality requests over
frame relay and ATM
connections.
IP Navigator can be
supplemented by Navis,
Ascend's network management
software that allows
drag-and-drop provisioning of
VPNs as well as enhanced
network management and
accounting. Navis also can
enable a service that lets
customers get a glimpse of how
their circuits are performing.
The ISP plans to use Ascend's
QoS software tools to offer users
better service-level agreements
and guarantees in the future,
said Ken Baldwin, assistant vice
president of market management
at GTE Internetworking.
It's imperative that GTE
Internetworking and other ISPs
and telcos build higher
bandwidth networks with the
latest switching technology in
order to stay competitive, said
Eric Paulak, research director at
Gartner Group, Inc., a Stamford,
Conn.-based consulting firm.
GTE has been throwing
resources behind building a
second Internet backbone
network since the ISP acquired
BBN Corp. almost one year ago.
While GTE is not eliminating the
original BBN network, which
maxes out at OC-3 speeds, the
ISP will instead interconnect the
new OC-192 GNI when that
network goes online.
The Ascend switches are the
latest addition to GTE
Internetworking's GNI. The ISP
has already purchased
Synchronous Optical Network
(SONET) gear from Nortel and
15,000 miles of OC-192 route
fiber miles from Qwest
Communications Corp.
The GNI is expected to be
completed by the end of 1999.
THis was never officially announced. That seems to be ASND's style.
BR
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