Verizon Tests Dynamic Optical Control Plane Technology

Verizon has completed a multi-vendor trial of dynamic optical control plane technology, demonstrating near real-time circuit provisioning across the Verizon Business commercial network.


The trial of control plane technology carried test traffic through optical circuits on Verizon Business' core network from Chicago to Atlanta, traversing the optical network using the Ciena CoreDirector, the Fujitsu FLASHWAVE 4500 MSPP and Tellabs 7100 Optical Transport System. The tests demonstrated integration of the optical control plane with Verizon Business' circuit-provisioning operations support system for dynamic flow-through of provisioning orders, resulting in shortened time from circuit order to circuit activation.


"Control plane technology is a critical next step in the evolution of optical technology because it supports the immediacy of service delivery our customers require as they respond to changing business demands," said Mark Wegleitner, senior vice president of technology for Verizon. "Multisupplier interoperability for this emerging capability is critical to Verizon's strategy of building a network as flexible and diverse as possible."


Verizon noted that its Network and Technology Group has participated in lab demonstrations of optical control plane technology as standardized by the ITU and the Optical Interoperability Forum (OIF), and that this field trial marks the first multisupplier implementation across a commercial network. For this trial, multiple suppliers collaborated with Verizon engineers to define interoperability based on industry standards. Where gaps were found in the existing standards, the teams jointly contributed to filling those gaps.http://www.verizon.com