Qwest Deploys New Optical Technology In Nationwide Network

7/31/2007

Tulsa, OK - Qwest Communications International Inc. has announced upgrades to its nationwide fiber-optic network that quadruple broadband capacity for customers and triple geographic availability of ultra-high-speed services, claim Qwest representatives. When combined with Qwest's Metro Ethernet or Private Line services, the upgrade provides an end-to-end, cost-efficient, high-bandwidth connection delivering speeds scalable from 1 to 40 Gbits/sec, says the carrier.

Qwest says the upgrade of its national network to ultra-long-haul (ULH) technology, which is software configurable, already is benefiting businesses, government agencies, and wholesale customers by providing:

• A dedicated broadband transport network without the capital investment and expense of owning and operating network infrastructure;
• Full availability of ultra-high-speed services with access points in all major U.S. business centers and extensive global connectivity;
• Faster service provisioning and increased agility with the ability to deploy, activate, reconfigure, and manage traffic remotely; and
• The ability to aggregate and transport traffic over standard communications interfaces, including Ethernet and SONET.

"The spike in demand for bandwidth-intensive applications makes high-capacity, easily scalable connections vital for customers," explains Tom Richards, executive vice president of the Qwest business markets group. "This upgrade ensures Qwest will continue to provide customers the bandwidth and capabilities they need now and in the future over one of the most extensive, state-of-the-art networks in the world."

Qwest QWave services provided via the high-capacity ULH network offer customers a great alternative to purchasing or leasing dark fiber, says the carrier. Today businesses, including U.S. Bancorp and Telefonica, have chosen the enhanced QWave services enabled by the upgrade.

"Because Qwest's existing national network is a newer, high-performance, high-capacity network, the move to ULH has been fast, efficient, and relatively surgical from a capital investment standpoint," reports Pieter Poll, Qwest's chief technology officer. "We are simply upgrading existing fiber routes and expanding our nationwide points of presence." The ULH upgrade also supports continued scalability of Qwest IP services nationwide, and further augments ultra-high-bandwidth connectivity for customers to Qwest hosting centers, says the carrier.