Building a scalable next-generation network
Bresnan sought not only to migrate to a single IP MPLS network but to invest in infrastructure that would not limit its growth, Pillai said. The operator's fiber ring now runs at 1 Gbps but can scale up to 240 Gbps symmetrically by adding line cards to the routers' chassis.
Pillai cannot say whether Bresnan's services will soon need such a high-performance network, but having a flexible platform has given the operator confidence that its next upgrade won't require a complete overhaul.
"When we designed the network, we thought, 'What can we think of five years down the road that we want to do?' It's hard to [answer] that because the technology changes so fast," he said.
"But Juniper is always coming out with new cards for the MX series that offer higher performance … [so] we don't envision we'll need to forklift what we have."
This article originally appeared in SearchTelecom.com