Cambridge, Mass. - GTE Internetworking is beefing up its Internet backbone by building new facilities that will offer users significantly more bandwidth and enhanced quality-of-service (QoS) features.
GTE Internetworking, GTE Corp.'s Internet service provider subsidiary, earlier this month announced it will deploy Ascend Communications, Inc. ATM and frame relay switches throughout the ISPs new Internet backbone network, called the Global Network Infrastructure (GNI).
Initially, the ISP will roll out 30 Ascend B-STDX 9000, CBX 500 and GX 550 carrier-grade frame relay, multiservice and ATM switches, respectively. The devices will be used throughout GTE Internetworking's sites in nearly 30 cities.
GTE Internetworking also is rolling out Ascend's IP Navigator software, which can support IP virtual private networks (VPN) across the switches with guaranteed QoS. IP Navigator will let network administrators map IP quality requests over frame relay and ATM connections.
IP Navigator can be supplemented by Navis, Ascend's network management software that allows drag-and-drop provisioning of VPNs as well as enhanced network management and accounting. Navis also can enable a service that lets customers get a glimpse of how their circuits are performing.
The ISP plans to use Ascend's QoS software tools to offer users better service-level agreements and guarantees in the future, said Ken Baldwin, assistant vice president of market management at GTE Internetworking.
It's imperative that GTE Internetworking and other ISPs and telcos build higher bandwidth networks with the latest switching technology in order to stay competitive, said Eric Paulak, research director at Gartner Group, Inc., a Stamford, Conn.-based consulting firm.
GTE has been throwing resources behind building a second Internet backbone network since the ISP acquired BBN Corp. almost one year ago.
While GTE is not eliminating the original BBN network, which maxes out at OC-3 speeds, the ISP will instead interconnect the new OC-192 GNI when that network goes online.
The Ascend switches are the latest addition to GTE Internetworking's GNI. The ISP has already purchased Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) gear from Nortel and 15,000 miles of OC-192 route fiber miles from Qwest Communications Corp.
The GNI is expected to be completed by the end of 1999.
RELATED LINKS
GTE fiber map
Map of the company's OC-192 network, now under construction.
IP Navigator overview
From Ascend.
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