Nokia and illwerke vkw AG, a power utility and telecom service provider in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg, have announced a partnership to deploy a cutting-edge optical transport network.
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The deployment is expected to be completed by late 2024 and will offer a network infrastructure capable of supporting 400G wavelengths.
illwerke vkw AG generates electricity exclusively from renewable sources and supplies energy to around 200,000 customers. Beyond its role in the energy sector, the company also provides telecom services to MNOs in Vorarlberg.
With the rapid growth in data consumption and the increasing demand for high-capacity networks, illwerke vkw AG has recognised the need to evolve its existing infrastructure. This new initiative will harness the power of Nokia's advanced optical transport technology to meet these challenges.
The deployment will utilise Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) technology, which enables the transmission of multiple data signals on the same fibre optic cable by using different wavelengths of light.
This approach increases the network's capacity, allowing illwerke vkw AG to scale up its services to meet the growing demands of its customers. At the core of this evolution is Nokia's Photonic Service Engine (PSE) technology, designed to optimise network performance and ensure sustainable growth.
The new optical network will span 15 key sites across Vorarlberg, providing 10G, 25G, and 100G mobile backhaul and fronthaul transport services. These services are crucial for connecting MNO cell sites and central offices, ensuring that data is efficiently and reliably transmitted across the region. illwerke vkw AG will extend its optical transport services to other business customers in Vorarlberg.
A critical component of this network upgrade is Nokia's 1830 Photonic Service Switch (PSS), which enables efficient wavelength management at the photonic layer. The network will also incorporate Optical Channel Protection.
The design will support multi-generation radios (3G/4G/5G), ensuring compatibility with existing and future telecommunications technologies.
To streamline operations, the network will be managed using Nokia's WaveSuite Network Operations Center (WS-NOC). This system provides unified, end-to-end optical management, including service provisioning and assurance, ensuring that illwerke vkw AG can efficiently oversee the entire network.
Christoph Märk, head of IT at illwerke vkw AG, commented, "We are excited to work with Nokia to evolve our existing network infrastructure. The new optical network will enable us to meet the growing capacity demands and provide high-quality telecom services to mobile service providers and business customers in Vorarlberg."
Matthieu Bourguignon, senior vice president and head of Europe for network infrastructure business at Nokia, said of the partnership: "As a premier energy service provider in Austria, illwerke vkw AG stands out by harnessing renewable energy and extending its network and expertise to offer telecommunications services to mobile network operators. Nokia will provide a resilient and superior optical transport network capable of supporting 400G wavelengths and beyond, which will serve the present and future requirements of illwerke vkw AG’s customers."
Earlier this year Nokia and A1 Austria (A1) completed the industry’s first 5G edge cloud network slicing with Microsoft. Read more here.
