The Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation has deployed an optical network infrastructure that will help transport voice, data and multimedia services to government departments, companies and the general population. The deployment is based on Cisco ONS 15454-based optical transport infrastructure and an IP/MPLS core network. A fiber network has been built around Addis Ababa, and it will transport both mobile and fixed-line analogue voice traffic. An IP/MPLS layer provides a single converged core infrastructure based on Cisco MGX 8000 Series switches to support existing ATM and Frame Relay networks. A combination of high-speed fixed and microwave links extends this network to other parts of the country. The Ethiopian Government, through its Ministry of Capacity Building (MoCB), enlisted ETC to build a core multiservice network. ETC awarded the tender for this infrastructure to Cisco Systems and its pan-African network and systems integrator, Business Connexion. http://www.cisco.comhttp://www.telecom.net.et