CLEC jumps into Gigabit Ethernet fray
Competitive local exchange carrier Time Warner Telecom is readying Gigabit Ethernet and other high-speed services via its new dense wavelength division multiplexing platform.
The carrier, which operates in 39 metropolitan areas across the U.S., recently agreed to spend an unspecified sum on LuxN's WavSystem DWDM equipment, which lets providers push up to 16 channels over a fiber pair.
"Basically this will allow us to provide any service directly over DWDM without requiring SONET or additional fiber and will speed our time to market," says Jose Ladeira, TWT's director of transport technology. The DWDM equipment will also let providers increase capacity on nets in areas where bandwidth is running short.
TWT plans to use the gear to roll out OC-3 (155M bit/sec) to OC-48 (2.5G bit/sec) services, in addition to Gigabit Ethernet. These offerings would compete with high-end data services from traditional carriers as well as newcomers including Yipes Communications and Telseon.
The carrier is already serving Gigabit Ethernet to one customer and will make the service available to others based on demand. Pricing has not been revealed.
Because the underlying DWDM technology is protocol-independent, TWT can also offer services such as Enterprise Systems Connection and Fibre Channel over DWDM for traffic traveling to and from data centers, Ladeira notes. Ultimately, TWT plans to use DWDM to offer bandwidth on demand.
TWT already offers a suite of traditional services including DS-1, DS-3, native LAN, SONET and voice.
The service provider, which began life as a partnership between Time Warner and US West, has recently experienced rapid growth. TWT has increased its presence from 24 to 39 markets since the start of the year, thanks in large part to its purchase of most of the assets of bankrupt provider GST Telecommunications last fall. By year-end, TWT plans to be in 44 cities.
Even though Time Warner still owns 47.8% of TWT, the firm is independently run. Last year, Time Warner took in more than $487 million in revenue and earned $1.2 million.
TWT has managed to become one of the few profitable CLECs in the U.S., says Jeff Moore, an analyst with research firm Current Analysis.
"One of the keys to their success is that they're facilities-based," he says. "They have a lot of fiber, 21 Class 5 switches and 21 markets with data centers."
While TWT operates in 15 Tier 1 cities, Moore notes the provider also serves a large number of Tier 2 markets, such as Greensboro, N.C., and Memphis, Tenn., where the competition for customers isn't as fierce.
Time Warner Telecom: www.twtelecom.com
» posted by ITworld staff
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