Dark Fiber

TMCnet Contributor

Zhone Technologies, Inc., a provider of multi-service access solutions, announced that Etisalat (News - Alert), the integrated service provider in the Middle East, has selected Zhone’s new MXK intelligent terabit access concentrator for its major FTTx network expansion.

Also, with solutions provided by two other suppliers, Etisalat will deploy Zhone’s MXK Intelligent Terabit Access Concentrator with zNID optical network terminals to business and residential customers in a major network expansion throughout the United Arab Emirates. 

Demands on access networks are increasing, requiring a clean-sheet approach to a truly scalable multi-service architecture. Zhone's MXK intelligent terabit access concentrator reflects this new approach, with non-blocking capacity of up to 3,600 100Mbps GPON subscribers or 360 1G Active Ethernet subscribers per chassis.

The zNID is an intelligent NID supporting GPON termination with full-featured gateway functionality providing an ideal solution for FTTH deployments.

Etisalat will install GPON to provide broadband and voice and enhanced video services to its residential subscribers. The company will also use GPON on the MXK platform to provide a suite of other services, like advanced call processing and ultra high-speed data across the region.

Saleem Al Marzooqi, senior vice president and network development for Etisalat, said that Zhone’s FTTx solution gives us unprecedented scalable bandwidth, robust network control and the ability to serve more customers with greater efficiency.

“Our rigorous and extensive side-by-side lab trials proved the MXK’s superior performance and its well-designed architecture makes it among the top future-proof platforms on the market,” Marzooqi said.

Etisalat’s services, over a large GPON deployment requires demands on traffic management and security resources such as GEMs, VLANs, and priority tags. Zhone’s new MXK platforms demonstrated rigorous Etisalat testing and the service intelligence needed to maintain the robust network control and security they require.

“The MXK platform with our proven SLMS access operating system software and complementary zNID ONTs are designed specifically for all-IP networks and intelligent traffic management of massive amounts of bandwidth,” Mike Scheck, vice president of International Sales for Zhone Technologies (News - Alert), said. “Etisalat’s network is a model application of the new benchmark we’re setting for scalable, manageable, and service-rich networks, and we’re honored that our solution was selected.”