Openreach Uses ADVA FSP 150 for New 10Gbit/s EAD Service

ADVA Optical Networking announced today that Openreach, the infrastructure division of BT Group, has deployed the ADVA FSP 150 as the foundation of its new EAD 10G service. The new point-to-point 10Gbit/s Ethernet Access Direct (EAD) service will provide Openreach’s customers with 10 times the bandwidth at little more than twice the price of the current 1Gbit/s product. Openreach is utilizing ADVA Optical Networking’s technology to respond to rapidly growing demand for bandwidth from enterprise customers across the UK. The new EAD 10G solution saves space, enables flexible deployment and is less expensive than other high-bandwidth products based on optical fiber. The service fully supports the sector’s increasingly stringent timing requirements with Synchronous Ethernet. What’s more, it enables Openreach to easily roll out more EAD functionality in the future.

“There’s a lot of excitement around this launch. With the ADVA FSP 150 as the foundation, we’ve created the ideal EAD solution and many of our business and infrastructure customers have already chosen to upgrade,” said Kerry Brennan, general manager, Fibre Services, Openreach. “Throughout the project we’ve collaborated closely with ADVA Optical Networking’s team. We’ve also listened to our customers. That’s helped us to precisely tailor our 10G service to their needs. We know real estate is at a premium in many locations so EAD 10G uses rack space more efficiently. It’s a single-fiber working solution, using only one physical fiber for both, transmit and receive directions, so installation and repair are simple and inexpensive. Customers will also save on power compared with legacy solutions. But the key benefit has to be that EAD 10G delivers 10 times the performance of 1Gbit/s at no more than 2.5 times the price.”

The new service is built on the latest 10G variant of ADVA Optical Networking’s FSP 150 product family. The ADVA FSP 150 is the ideal high-speed Carrier Ethernet demarcation and aggregation solution for all enterprise applications. With its Etherjack™ operations, administration and maintenance tools, it’s the perfect platform for provisioning differentiated Ethernet services at up to 10Gbit/s. The ADVA FSP 150 delivers strict service level assurance for carrier and enterprise applications through its extensive quality of service management. Designed with simple network operation in mind, it offers reliability, compactness and low power consumption. The solution features a variety of service protection capabilities and hardware redundancy options and it comes complete with a resilient temperature-hardened design, giving Openreach’s customers maximum flexibility for network design – both indoor and outdoor.

“EAD 10G is going to bring substantial benefits to a great number of UK enterprises and we’re proud to have played such a big part in helping Openreach take this exciting leap forward,” said Sarah Mendham, sales director, ADVA Optical Networking. “Our companies never fail to achieve great things when we work together. This launch is the latest step in a long and very successful partnership. Our FSP 150 ensures the new 10G service is enhanced with EAD Synchronous Ethernet. That means Openreach’s customers can utilize technologies that require precise frequency synchronization, giving them access to a host of new business opportunities. With intelligent demarcation and aggregation, its clients will receive even more than high-bandwidth point-to-point connectivity. Enterprises can now tackle their growing bandwidth needs and at the same time drive down cost. And, going forward, there’s scope for Openreach to roll out even more EAD services in the future.”