Contents

	Welcome Note
	Migration to IP Core Network
	Laser Tuned Jacks
	Hardened Connectors vs. Field Splicing

Migration to IP Core Network

Broadband has become a part of everyday life in most countries around the world. At the same time, voice services have become less and less profitable for both incumbent and competing operators.

Legacy networks have become expensive to run, because they now contain a wide mixture of technologies. This has made for cost inefficiencies with multiple management systems, spares stocks and different operations and maintenance processes. Because of this, many operators now see a single technology network − ALL-IP (internet protocol) as the ultimate goal in terms of seamless service delivery and operating efficiency.

New revenue streams

Many operators are looking towards new content-based revenue streams such as video-on-demand, high definition TV, interactive TV and multimedia − applications that all require high bandwidths. Delivery mechanisms like FTTN (fibre-to-the-node), or FTTP (fibre-to-the-premises) will be needed to make them possible. It is predicted that bandwidths of 100Mb/s or 1Gb/s to the home will become necessary.

Migration is key

After eighty years of helping network operators and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) globally to build flexibility and long-term reliability into their networks, we at ADC KRONE are clear that there is no single solution to the difficult task of migrating existing networks from their current mix of technology to the high bandwidth ALL-IP Next Generation Network (NGN). There are a number of strategic network topologies possible − some of them “stepping stones”, some ALL-IP − but for every network a unique migration strategy is essential. The probability is that several different topologies will need to co-exist in the network as it transitions to the next generation network.

Every Telco engineer has the need to create flexibility points all around the network built into their DNA. It was taught to them when they first entered the Telecoms world and it is one of the major factors that have enabled Telecoms networks to operate with such incredible levels of uptime and reliability decade after decade.

With IT-based network equipment like routers and Ethernet switches, the operational need for flexibility is greater than ever because of the far reduced operational lifecycle – between seven and twelve years compared to the 25 years of an ATM voice switch. There are interim upgrades to consider too.

If the flexibility is not planned in minute detail and built-in at day one, downtime and additional cost are inevitable when upgrades have to be undertaken. Which is why network operators and equipment manufacturers around the world are now turning to ADC KRONE to help get the detail correct for future flexibility?

Migration to IP Core Network

For many operators, the logical first stage is to update the core or trunk network to ALL-IP from a possible mixture of SDH, SONET and maybe legacy PDH links. Some of this may still be on coax systems, some on fibre. This migration stage involves replacing or upgrading to fibre throughout the core network and installing core routers and Ethernet switches.

In an ideal world, the whole of the core network would be based on the meshedring approach shown in Diagram A which offers the most resilient topology.

However, in the real-world of existing networks, many operators will want to reduce their deployment costs as much as possible by re-using existing cable routes and ducts to avoid the substantial civil works costs that would result from digging-in new duct routes.

Consequently, a more pragmatic topology is that shown in Diagram B − which is more like a dual diverse-route star network based on the re-use of existing duct routes.

Planning for change

Upgrading the core network to ALL-IP is an essential step to efficiently delivering the exponentially growing bandwidth demanded by customers. One thing that is certain in the core network and the central office (CO) or point-of-presence (PoP) is that the router and switch technology will not have even the 25 year life of ATM digital switches.

In most enterprises, such equipment has a three or four year lifespan before it is obsolescent. In the public network we may be looking at seven to twelve years but not much longer.

So it is obvious that the need to build-in flexibility for in-service equipment changeout must be built in at day one. Failure to do so will lead to expensive and service disrupting consequences in the longer term.

For more information on ADC KRONE’s Migration solutions contact

Sumit Bhatia
Sales Director
Carrier Networks