Frontier Awards Nationwide ATM Contract to
Ascend
THIS US WHAT I CALL A BIG DEAL, FRONTIER'S CUSTOMERS INCLUDE CARRIERS SUCH AS USWEST etc.
Conducts Interoperability Testing of ATM Directly on DWDM
Components From NEC
ROCHESTER, N.Y., July 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Frontier Corporation (NYSE: FRO -
news) today announced that it will deploy more than 40 Ascend
Communications (Nasdaq: ASND - news) GX 550 ''Smart Core'' and CBX 500
Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) core switches nationwide by the first
quarter of 1999. This ATM layer is the latest piece of Frontier's versatile
Optronics network, which will provide extremely scalable, high-speed
transport for bandwidth-intensive data, Internet, intranet, video and voice
applications.
Frontier is one of the first carriers to conduct interoperability testing of the
Ascend GX 550 ''Smart Core'' ATM switch directly over SpectralWave(TM)
Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) equipment from NEC
America, Inc. (Nasdaq: NIPNY - news). This network design offers an
alternative to the SONET infrastructure, resulting in the capability to deliver
higher interface speeds and greater efficiencies for customers.
Frontier's ATM network layer will allocate network capacity and assign
priorities for different types of traffic. Frontier will utilize Ascend's GX 550
switches for high-speed ATM access and trunking. Ascend's CBX 500 ATM
switches will support Frontier's multiservice, multiuser network. These are
the first switches to offer end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS) over frame
relay, Internet Protocol (IP) and ATM -- applications all supported by
Frontier's Optronics network.
''We unveiled a frame relay network last year for data-intensive customers.
Earlier this week, we announced plans to deploy an OC-48c IP layer to our
network for web-centric customers. Now with ATM, we can provide the
scalability, reliability and capacity critical for customers with high-
bandwidth needs,'' said Robert L. Barrett, President of Frontier Technology.
''Whatever the customer size, whatever their current technological
infrastructure, and whatever their future telecommunications needs may be,
Frontier can accommodate them. We are future-proofing our network to
ensure that customers have the bandwidth for whatever applications they
may deploy to support their business goals, now and well into the future.''
Ascend, a world leader in ATM technology, was the natural choice for
Frontier. ''We're pleased Frontier has chosen to partner with Ascend on this
revolutionary, multilayer network,'' said Hassan Ahmed, Ascend's Executive
Vice President and General Manager, Core Systems Division. ''By combining
core switch performance and edge switch intelligence and offering
multiservice capability, our products are providing Frontier with the
carrier-class approach so important in building new public networks such as
this one.''
Frontier is working with NEC to maximize its available network capacity
through DWDM. This technology dramatically boosts the capacity of a single
strand of fiber, creating virtually unlimited capacity on-demand, a concept
Frontier refers to as liquid bandwidth.'' James Jaffke, General Manager,
Strategic Account Programs, NEC America's Public Networks Group, stated,
''This integrated solution enables Frontier to be one of the first to provision
and manage ATM-based services with unlimited bandwidth allocation over
the optical network layer.''
When completed early next year, Frontier's Optronics network will connect
more than 120 cities around the nation with a network capacity of 460
Gigabits per second (Gbps).
A map of Frontier's network is available on the company's web site at
www.frontiercorp.com.
About Frontier
Frontier Corporation is one of the leading providers of integrated
communications services -- including Internet, IP and data applications, long
distance, local telephone and wireless -- to business customers nationwide.
Frontier's self-healing Optronics network provides customers with faster
transmission speeds, greater bandwidth capacity and unrivaled reliability.
For more information, visit the Frontier web site at www.frontiercorp.com.
About Ascend Communications
Ascend Communications, Inc. develops manufactures, sells and services
wide area networking solutions for telecommunications carriers, Internet
service providers and corporate customers worldwide. For more information
about Ascend and its products, please visit the Ascend web site at
ascend.com or send E-mail to info@ascend.com. Ascend is
headquartered at One Ascend Plaza, 1701 Harbor Bay Parkway, Alameda, CA
94502; phone is 800-ASCEND4 and fax 510-814-2300.
About NEC America
NEC America, Inc., an affiliate of NEC Corporation (Nasdaq: NIPNY - news)
develops, manufactures and markets a complete line of advanced
communications products and software for public and private networks. NEC
America's Public Networks Group provides a full line of SONET transmission
systems, network management systems, digital loop carriers, and ATM
switches for public networks. For more information about NEC America visit
NEC's web site at nec.com.
SpectralWave is a trademark of NEC America, Inc. All other trademarks are
held by their respective owners.
You can receive a faxed copy of any Frontier Corporation press release
dating back to July 1997, free of charge, 24 hours a day. Call 1-800-758-5804,
extension 762302. An automated system will provide you with instructions.
SOURCE: Frontier Corporation |
