Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Ribbon delivers IP Optical to power utility in Namibia

NamPower, Namibia's largest power utility, has deployed Ribbon's IP Optical portfolio for its "The GridOnline" project. The GridOnline provides a comprehensive backbone for operators across the country to leverage high-capacity bandwidth reliably, both domestically and internationally.

NamPower's deployment combines Ribbon's 400G ZR+ and 200G coherent Apollo Optical Transport solutions with Neptune IP over DWDM. The Muse interactive network planning tool enables NamPower to carry out offline network planning and simulations to optimize use of resources.

"This is a significant project, not just for us, but more so for Namibia as a whole, providing expanded access to fast, reliable bandwidth to carriers and wholesale providers," said Helgo Müller, NamPower's Head of Telecom and Control. "Strategically, when it comes to communications infrastructure, NamPower, and therefore Namibia as a country, plays an important role for the entire southern African region, having direct backbone reach across the nation, to submarine optic cables and to neighboring land-locked countries. "

"NamPower is a flagship customer for us on the African continent and we have long considered them a partner for growth," said Lior Tourgeman, Ribbon's VP Sales, Africa. "I am delighted to see that the network we have nurtured over the past decade has now evolved into a multi-terabit network equipped with rich capabilities of DWDM, IP, OTN and intuitive management. This significant step toward network modernization is helping to usher NamPower into the era of IP Optical networking and establish it as a key player for bandwidth delivery services."