SURFnet, Internet2 deploy optical switches from Nortel to interconnect their research networks

November 9, 2004

2 Min Read

PITTSBURGH -- SURFnet and Internet2 have deployed industry-leading optical solutions from Nortel (NYSE:NT)(TSX:NT) to provide optical interconnect capabilities into their internationally acclaimed research and education networks. The combination of these two deployments will allow for unprecedented secure and reliable collaboration among researchers and scientists globally.

SURFnet, the global pioneer in advanced network research, has deployed a Nortel Optical Multiservice Edge 6500 and a high-density Nortel Optical Cross Connect HDXc (HDXc) in its NetherLight advanced optical switching facility in Amsterdam. Nortel will also provide SURFnet with a Nortel Common Photonic Layer (CPL) for deployment in the SURFnet6 optical backbone network, which includes NetherLight as a major node.

Internet2, a consortium led by over 200 universities working in partnership with industry and government to develop and deploy advanced network applications and technologies, will deploy Nortel Optical Multiservice Edge 6500 and Nortel HDXc into the Manhattan Landing (MAN LAN) facility, a high-performance exchange point used to facilitate Internet Protocol (IPv4/v6) peering between U.S. and international research and education networks.

Nortel optical solutions offer new levels of scalability, packet capability and flexibility to these two high-performance nodes. As a result of this deployment, both NetherLight and MAN LAN will become main hubs of the Global Lambda Integrated Facility (GLIF). The GLIF community shares a common vision of building a new grid computing paradigm in which the central architectural element is optical networks, not computers, to support this decade's most demanding e-science applications. The GLIF's links are being made available for scheduled use by e-scientists and computer scientists involved with advanced data-intensive application, middleware, protocol and optical networking development.

"Deploying Nortel HDXc and Optical Multiservice Edge 6500 is a logical step in the evolution of NetherLight," said Kees Neggers, managing director, SURFnet. "It will allow us to further develop the prominent role The Netherlands is playing in the GLIF, with virtually unlimited switching capacity and seamless integration with our existing optical infrastructure."

Nortel Networks Ltd.

SURFnet

Internet2

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