C&W Networks
Meeting Demands for a Reliable and Scalable Broadband Access

Since the basis of all cloud services is connectivity, it is of little debate that the quality of connections forms the foundation of the cloud user’s experience. “The success of today’s complex carrier cloud services is dependent on the availability of reliable, high quality transport connections, for which the underlying cloud transport infrastructure must be fault tolerant by design,” remarks Carlo Alloni, CTIO of Cable & Wireless Communications. A result of the recent merger between Cable & Wireless Communications and Columbus International which are full-service telecommunications companies; C&W Networks offers broadband, IP capacity, managed services, and integrated solutions to global and local telecom carriers along with value added resellers, cable TV providers, and Internet Service Providers (ISPs). The company operates a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) mesh overlay network based on Juniper MX series routers and this unique meshed fabric design provides seamless service availability for wholesale enterprise and business customers. Primarily a telecommunications service provider, C&W Networks operates the largest subsea multi-ring fiber-optic network throughout the greater Caribbean, Central American, and Andean region.

Rendering solutions that are highly flexible and scalable, C&W Networks provides their clients with bandwidth ranging from E-1, Gigabit Ethernet to STM-64 and 10 Gig-E; utilizing 100 Gbps wavelength technology in the transport layer and Juniper series of T4000, amongst other models. The company enables carriers and service providers to deliver high quality, reliable and highly scalable services to their customers. C&W Networks’ IP Transit Service Core is based on Juniper T-Series routers, which provide customers with multiple 10GE connections. Over the years, Juniper’s routers have always proved to be extremely adaptable and when the company upgraded to T4000 from T1600 in 2012, the transition was carried out without any network interruption or disruption in customer service. “We have learned to depend on the high reliability of T-Series hardware and integral design redundancy, which protects against service interruption during equipment card fault, expansion and upgrade work. This truly has been a key component in our success,” explains Alloni.

Underpinning close attention to designing and issuing efficient network survivability and service availability, C&W Networks’ services are protected against the impact of network faults or maintenance activities. The company offers rich in submarine optical fiber network, configured with 1:1 path ring protection and rapid switching as a standard service. Additional resilience is also provided over C&W Networks’ overlay MPLS mesh network. Always on the lookout for implementing latest technology, C&W Networks recently announced the commissioning of its new subsea network called Pacific Caribbean Cable System (PCCS). PCCS is a multi 100Gbit/s lambda network with enormous scalability and will be the first system to provide 100Gig-E services to the Eastern Caribbean. With an ultimate design capacity of 80 terabits per second, the PCCS submarine network boosts connectivity and substantially increases the availability of broadband services. “This new system will further enhance C&W Networks’ ongoing commitment for ecosystem diversity,” states Alloni.

This year, will see C&W Networks expanding core network access points with two additional U.S. nodes in New York and Jacksonville

This year, will also see C&W Networks expanding core network access points with two additional U.S. nodes in New York and Jacksonville. The company will introduce Juniper MX960 regional aggregation nodes in Tortola and Curacao for improved Caribbean internet access and service reliability. Also part of C&W Network’s future goal, is the operation of native 100GE connections between Core routers followed by 100G connections with some major peering partners. “This network expansion is consistent with our mantra of continuous improvement in terms of performance, reach and scale to ensure we meet the region’s demands for reliable, scalable broadband access,” ends Alloni