Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) is to extend its long-distance international 100Gbit/s deployments into metro networks around the world starting next year and will deploy control plane technology from Ciena Corp. (NYSE: CIEN) to simplify the management of its global network.

The operator says the deployment of Ciena's 5430 Reconfigurable Switching System, a packet-optical transport system (P-OTS) that includes OTN (Optical Transport Network) aggregation and switching capabilities, will allow for simplified operations and "near real-time provisioning of specified new circuits." (See Redefining P-OTS.)

Those capabilities, plus the extension of coherent 100Gbit/s into its metro networks, will extend the functionality it already has in its long-haul connections and give it "greater scalability and functionality while supporting higher access speeds."

Verizon expects to start its international upgrade during the first half of 2013 and tells Light Reading that European deployments are included in the plan, but that it isn't revealing any markets just yet. The operator also confirmed that Ciena is the only vendor involved in this upgrade.

Verizon says the introduction of cloud, video and 4G mobile services are driving the need for extended 100Gbit/s capabilities, which can, in turn, enable high-value applications such as the low-latency service designed for the finance sector that has been launched on the operator's 100Gbit/s link between New York City and Chicago.

According to the operator, its global network spans six continents, runs for more than 500,000 route miles (subsea and terrestrial) and reaches into more than 2,700 cities in 150 countries, with its most dense international network meshes found in Western Europe and Japan. (See Verizon Deploys 100G Ethernet in Europe.)

Why this matters
Verizon has been at the forefront of 100Gbit/s carrier developments for years, so there's always interest in how it advances its transport strategy.The operator talked about adding 100Gbit/s metro services in 2013 during this year's OFC/NFOEC show, but this announcement takes that vision global and provides additional insight into how the operator will manage the network. (See Verizon Loves Its 100G and 100G Update: Verizon's Glenn Wellbrock.)

More importantly, though, it sends a very clear message to the transport community that confidence in 100Gbit/s investments is growing, albeit in select markets to start with. In addition, Verizon's decision is likely to provide the catalyst for other major operators to accelerate their 100Gbit/s plans.

For more:

— Ray Le Maistre, International Managing Editor, Light Reading