Ciena Corporation has announced that South African telecommunications operator BitCo has selected Ciena to upgrade its network to provide high-performance, cost-effective and scalable carrier-class Ethernet managed bandwidth services for enterprise and wholesale mobile backhaul connectivity. Ciena worked with its BizConnect partner Adcomtec to provide BitCo a reliable packet network architecture that supports the rapid turn-up of new services and predictable service delivery, using Ciena’s 3940 and 3920 Service Delivery Switches.
According to the company, some of the key facts include:
– BitCo is a licensed telecommunications operator providing a one-stop connectivity solution that can be easily tailored to meet the requirements of local and regional enterprises, including PBX solutions, voice termination services and Carrier Ethernet based connectivity, as well as wholesale mobile backhaul services.
– Ciena’s MEF-certified packet networking solutions have been deployed in the Rustenburg and Bloemfontein regions and will also support other metropolitan areas, including Gauteng, Durban, Cape Town and Nelspruit.
– With Ciena’s 3940 and 3920, BitCo can quickly and easily turn-up services for new and existing customers and cost-effectively tailor and scale services according to the customer’s specific requirements and timeline. Additionally, BitCo can offer its enterprise and wholesale customers sophisticated Quality of Service (QoS) features for its virtual private network (VPN), high-speed Internet, backup and VoIP services.
– The Ciena-based packet network includes G.8032 ring protection, providing BitCo with more effective interconnection between network elements, sub-50ms protection switching for all traffic, and increased network scalability.
– Adcomtec, a Ciena BizConnect partner, provided design assistance, support, technical resources and project management services.
According to Michael Colin, Sales Director at BitCo: “South African businesses, from small family-run companies to large corporations, depend on reliable, cost-effective Ethernet service delivery. BitCo makes communications work for our customers by reducing costs and increasing network reliability and uptime – making Ciena’s standard-based packet networking architecture a perfect fit for our business offerings. With Ciena’s packet networking solutions, we can give our enterprise customers the peace of mind that the network can handle their communication needs so that they can focus on growing their business and making a contribution to the economy.”
During the reveal, Nick Walden, Managing Director, EMEA Regional Carriers at Ciena, stated that: “Enterprises expect reliable connectivity services that can scale to meet their changing requirements – in a cost-effective manner and without delay. Ciena’s built-for-speed packet networking portfolio has been designed with these requirements in mind and will enable BitCo to continue to grow its presence in key metropolitan areas in South Africa.”
Technology Background:
Ciena’s purpose-built packet networking platforms are used by more than 150 carriers, wireless service providers and cable operators worldwide. They offer the industry’s richest set of OAM capabilities and support a wide range of key industry packet transport protocols, such as G.8032, PBB-TE and MPLS-TP thanks to the virtual switching capability native to Ciena’s packet portfolio.
Ciena’s packet networking platforms are complemented by the company’s Network Transformation Solutions (NTS) and BizConnect partner program that offer a truly consultative approach to Ciena partners along with joint marketing and sales support.
