The link, which is an existing DWDM backbone, has been operational since 2003, with 2.5Gbps and 10Gbps services.
MTS forecasts that smartphone penetration on its network will reach 60% by the end of 2015; with launches of LTE networks in Russian regions forcing mobile traffic growth. Growth in fixed-line internet usage is also set to increase data traffic on the carrier’s backbone six to 10 times.
“We are facing the challenge to provide our customers quality and high-speed data exchange while its volume grows every year,” said Andrey Ushatskiy, VP and CTO at MTS Group.
“At the moment the volume of everyday traffic exchange between Moscow and Saint Petersburg is over 1 Petabyte and we are building the high-performance system of backbone lines sequentially enhancing its capacity to supply the demand in data exchange in long-term perspective.”
For the deployment the carrier has added Apollo’s Optimised Multi-Layer Transport (OMLT) shelves to already installed XDM shelves.
ECI claims that approach has saved MTS time and money, while enabling faster time to market.
“With about 100 million mobile subscribers, MTS is able to edge ahead with 100Gbps capabilities in one of the main telecoms links in the country. The Russian market faces some of the fiercest competition today in the world, and by leveraging the deployed XDM network, MTS can migrate to advanced services more cost-effectively and with faster time to market,” said Boris Mirkin, head of Russia and CIS business unit at ECI Telecom.
