Press Archive

Dan Clifton - Fibertech Networks (585) 697 - 5100
Kevin Wade - Force10 Networks 707-665-4509

October 13, 2009 - San Jose, CA

Force10 Networks, Inc., the global technology leader that data center, service provider and enterprise customers rely on when the network is their business, today announced that the company’s solution for the “middle mile” has been expanded to include a family of resilient, high-performance Ethernet switch/routers.

The availability of Force10 Ethernet switch/routers for the middle mile represents a significant expansion of the company’s already extensive and widely deployed solutions for this vital segment of the carrier infrastructure lying between the broadband access network and the core. More than 200 rural local exchange carriers (LECs), utilities and transport providers have deployed Force10’s Traverse® Multiservice Transport Switch to increase the capacity and flexibility of their optical transport networks and enable new services, such as Ethernet and IPTV. As these and other carriers transition to 10 Gigabit Ethernet-centric networks, the Force10 Ethernet switch/routers provide a scalable solution. Having also recently earned RUS-Acceptance, the products are applicable for carriers who have applied to receive broadband stimulus funding for middle mile and last mile projects under the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Fibertech Networks and Manti Tele Communications are among the growing list of carriers who have deployed Force10’s scalable 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10 GbE) aggregation and transport solutions to streamline the delivery of advanced broadband services, such as the triple play and packet-based wireless backhaul.

High Performance Ethernet Without Compromise

Fibertech Networks is a leading provider of fiber-optic based network services throughout mid-size cities in the Eastern and Central regions of the United States. The Rochester, N.Y-based company utilizes Force10’s Traverse platform in metro-area networks that strategically connect local Telco central offices, carrier hotels, data centers, office parks and other high-traffic locations, including extending directly into many end customers’ facilities across its footprint. Requiring a scalable Ethernet solution to augment their extensive regional optical transport network, Fibertech recently deployed the Force10 C-Series® C300 resilient switch/router.

“When using Ethernet for applications that are critical to our business like service aggregation and inter-carrier handoffs, we simply can’t compromise on network reliability or performance,” says Earl Ipsaro, vice president of engineering, Fibertech Networks. “The C-Series, with its high availability architecture and unmatched port density, provided our network with the resiliency and features we needed at a very attractive price point for today and with investment protection for tomorrow.”

Leveraging Force10 Enables Manti to Complete the Triple Play

Like many rural LECs, Manti Tele Communications in central Utah is in the midst of upgrading their existing DSL-based access network to fiber-to-the-home technology (FTTH) to better enable the delivery of triple play services including IPTV. Having selected a next-generation Ethernet/IP-based multi-service access platform (MSAP) to support the transition from copper- to fiber-based subscriber lines, Manti also recently selected the C300 resilient switch/router to meet their high-performance 10 GbE aggregation and transport requirements in the middle mile.

“Our existing Ethernet aggregation solution, originally deployed to support our DSL access network, didn’t provide the scalability or density we required to support our ongoing migration to FTTH and triple-play services,” says Dallas Cox, general manager, Manti Tele Communications. “The Force10 C-Series provided us with the high port density and non-blocking, low-latency Ethernet switching performance we needed to build a scalable 10 GbE aggregation and transport network and ensure high-service quality for Manti’s IPTV and VoIP services.”

The Force10 Ethernet Switch/Router Product Family

The Force10 Ethernet switch/router products deliver improved performance, decreased complexity and lower costs in the middle mile network. The product family consists of the

chassis-based C-Series resilient switch optimized for high-density GbE and 10 GbE aggregation and transport applications, the S-Series for GbE and 10 GbE migration in more compact and cost-effective form factors, and the E-Series for carrier Ethernet core applications.

“Force10 has consistently demonstrated its commitment to customers focused on the middle mile portion of the network, such as regional transport providers and rural carriers, by offering a range of industry-leading solutions and delivering outstanding support,” says Henry Wasik, president and CEO, Force10 Networks. “Valued customers, such as Fibertech Networks and Manti, are leveraging our non-blocking switching performance as well as our unmatched GbE and 10 GbE scalability to ensure that their middle mile infrastructure is solidified for the services they are offering today, and those that will be delivered in the future.”