MFN has successfully upgraded an existing fibre transport network with a 200GbE system based on the Fujitsu 1FINITY S100 layer 2 switch and Virtuora network control solution.
This high-capacity carrier Ethernet network delivers a substantial boost in bandwidth for MFN member companies and their customers, with a flexible evolution path to meet future capacity needs as well.
“As a consortium of carriers, MFN’s bandwidth requirements vary among the different member companies, but all the members agreed that we needed an upgraded transport network to meet the capacity demands of our subscribers. We selected Fujitsu to help us accomplish that goal based on their demonstrated commitment to quality and performance,” said Jeff Roiland, president of the Midwest Fiber Network.
“The network upgrade path we chose was the most efficient and flexible option to meet our collective capacity needs today, while providing room to grow for the future. This strategy better positions us to adapt to changing market needs.”
As broadband consumption continues to escalate across the US, even small rural markets are demanding faster internet speeds and greater capacity. The nine telecom carriers that make up the collaborative MFN deliver voice, video and data services to residential and business subscribers throughout southwestern Iowa, in addition to providing mobile backhaul services. MFN operates a shared transport architecture that spans several hundred miles of fibre network.
In order to scale capacity as quickly and efficiently as possible, MFN opted to overlay the existing network with a disaggregated 200Gbps architecture based on the Fujitsu 1FINITY S100 modular platform with up to 1.2Tbps bidirectional packet switching capacity. Paired with the Virtuora network controller and packet control application, the 1FINITY platform enables a programmable, software-defined network (SDN) infrastructure that offers future-proof capacity with a low total cost of ownership, allowing the MFN member companies to take advantage of emerging business opportunities.
The MFN network upgrade involved deployment of a 200GbE Carrier Ethernet transport network, providing a reliable architecture with traffic management, network protection and performance monitoring. Fujitsu managed deployment of the new network architecture as a full turnkey service for MFN, conducting installation, fibre characterisation, turn-up and testing.
Annie Bogue, head of sales and marketing at Fujitsu Network Communications, added: “The MFN member companies, like other communications service providers worldwide, need to strike a balance between offering sufficient capacity and achieving maximum return on investment. Fujitsu recommended that MFN deploy high-capacity carrier Ethernet technology on the 1FINITY platform as the best option to quickly boost capacity without incurring significant equipment costs, enabling a flexible, low-risk path to meet future needs.”
