Windstream Wholesale completed two pivotal route enhancement projects across Virginia using FLEX DWDM (FLEX) technology.
The FLEX upgrade extends across Windstream’s ICON network from Ashburn through Richmond, Virginia, and into the Virginia Beach cable landing station (CLS). The route segment from Ashburn to Richmond serves as a vital connection between key data centers while the extension from Richmond to the Virginia Beach subsea CLS opens new avenues for international connectivity.
The upgrades leverage Ciena’s 6500 Reconfigurable Line System (RLS).
Windstream Wholesale’s FLEX/ICON upgrades and expansions enable 400G wave service, Managed Spectrum service, and greater visibility into network health and performance with technologies like inline optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) engineered into the route. Inline OTDR dramatically reduces mean time to repair (MTTR) in the event of a network interference or fiber cut, providing the ability to locate the interference without physically deploying resources. FLEX also provides cost benefits, enabling the direct connection of key data centers to core long-haul network nodes and eliminating the need to bookend equipment to jump between long-haul and regional networks.
“We are proud to announce the completion of these two crucial route initiatives,” said John Nishimoto, Windstream Wholesale senior vice president of product, marketing, and strategy. “These enhancements represent our steadfast commitment to technology leadership and exceeding customer expectations as we continue to drive innovation to meet today’s connectivity demands.”
Windstream Wholesale understands the critical role connectivity plays in today’s digital landscape. By investing in infrastructure expansion and leveraging state-of-the-art technologies like FLEX, the company remains at the forefront of delivering reliable, high-performance network solutions.
