Similarly Juniper recently announced that Cox Communications is deploying its MX-series of Ethernet Services Routers in its metro regional networks in addition to Juniper's T1600 series routers in its national backbone network. Juniper has also won Ethernet cable customers in other countries including TeleCable in Spain CableCom in Mexico Aurora Cable in Canada and Virgin Media in the U.K.
'It could be that the cable companies are coming up with the same basic idea as the service providers of using Ethernet as their metro solution ' said Tom Nolle president of CIMI Corp. 'We may be seeing a surge in Carrier Ethernet not just for cost and public relations but because it's much more important than we think in the overall network. The metro is where money is being spent.'
Juniper agrees that an increasing number of cable operators like telecom providers are taking advantage of the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of Ethernet in the metro while choosing IP/MPLS in the core and edge networks.
Comcast actually began deploying Juniper's MX-series Ethernet routers last year to support business services in major metro areas in the U.S. The new routers that Comcast is purchasing will be incorporated into the operator's metro regional network architecture that carries traffic for all of its services.
Cisco completes 100 Gig-E router interface test
In a related announcement Cisco said it successfully completed the first 100 Gbit Ethernet router interface test with Comcast over its existing backbone between Philadelphia and McLean Va. Cisco said it used the first 100 Gbit Ethernet router interface developed for the Cisco CRS-1 routing system. The interface is designed to enable transmission of 100 Gbit Ethernet over DWDM fiber optic networks which will increase bandwidth per wavelength by a factor of 10. It also creates efficiencies by simplifying routing and operations compared to carrying the same amount of traffic split over more commonly used 10 Gbit Ethernet links.