TDS® deploys 10G network backbone in U.S.
Telecom prepares for aggressive broadband future
TDS Telecommunications Corp.(TDS®) has completed construction of the first phase of a 10-Gigabit (10G) transport network; eclipsing its previous network and positioning the company for continuous broadband growth.
“Evolving our reputation as ‘a local phone company’ has been our mission for the past five years,” says TDS President and CEO, Dave Wittwer. “We strive to be the preferred broadband provider in our markets. With more than 93 percent of our market areas connected to broadband you could say we have arrived as a broadband company, but this 10G network expansion really epitomizes our transformation.”
In development and deployment since 2008, implementation for the 10G project has kept TDS plant and network engineers, technicians, and vendors at full-throttle. The fully IP-based network pairs regional hub sites using multiple carriers and has geographical route diversity. For example, should one hub site suffer a catastrophic failure or acute outage, the other hub site or pair can take over raising the level of reliability at TDS’ core network exponentially. Take an in-depth look at the TDS 10G Network, including a map.
“The 10G architecture replaces our traditional communications infrastructure of more than 100 network clusters and creates a streamlined regional hub structure,” states Ken Paker, vice president of Network Services for TDS. “The network has expansion opportunity and is designed to evolve with the needs of our customers for years to come.”
Carrier grade Alcatel-Lucent and Cisco routers principally interface with the network connections, utilizing national transport vendors, such as Level 3, along with other regional carriers to complete connection points. The 10G structure simplifies monitoring and maintenance while improving network reliability, all measures aimed at controlling operational expenses and delivering greater reliability for TDS customers throughout the 30 states where the company operates.
For customers and economic development advocates alike, TDS’ 10G network promises to enhance data and voice quality, improve service reliability, and establish the generally rural areas served by TDS as connected communities with more access to urban-comparable communications services.
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