MPLS Connectivity Can Be Used to Prepare for Increasing Data Traffic

By Ed Silverstein, TMCnet Contributor

MPLS connectivity can be used to prepare for increasing data traffic as seen by Australia’s Optus (News - Alert) recently selecting a packet transport switch from Juniper.

Optus will use the PTX5000 switch for a 4G mobile network and a converged wireline, news reports said. The PTX5000 uses multi protocol label switching (MPLS).

Globally, the increase in data traffic is fueled by the increasing popularity of smartphones and tablets. The same trends are seen in Australia.

The Juniper switch will be used in Melbourne before being used in other locations during 2013. Optus already provides 4G coverage to areas such as Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth, Brisbane and the Gold Coast in Queensland. Service will expand to Adelaide and Canberra by the end of June.

The Juniper switch was selected by the company after careful consideration of its needs. "It provides the density required to support our growth plans," Optus vice president of converged service engineering Karim Nejaim, was quoted by Computerworld New Zealand. "The optimized nature of the PTX platform will also help us manage our cost base as we grow our network, while the power efficiency of the platform will help us support growth within a manageable power environment."

As data traffic continues to grow, there also are many benefits seen with the MPLS Exchange Platform (MEP), which provides interconnected points for MPLS networks across multiple carriers, according to a United Network Services, Inc., (UNSi) statement. It was IPNetzone (now UNSi) which developed the first global MEP back in 2010.

Access to the MEP and evWAN offers quick and seamless connectivity to global markets and facilities which were either too expensive and/or difficult to manage previously. In addition, one eeNNI provides access into hundreds of markets and tens of thousands of lit buildings worldwide.

Carrier customers typically select MPLS network connections as they offer a high degree of flexibility and scalability, which in turn leads to lower costs and increased financial returns.