News Release

Chinese Cable Operator Zhejiang Wasu Taps Cisco for 100 Gigabit Backbone

High Speed Network Enables New and Enhanced Video Services
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May 23, 2013

SAN JOSE, Calif. – May 23, 2013 – Cisco® today announced that Zhejiang Wasu Cable TV Network Co., Ltd. (Wasu), one of the leading cable operators in China, has successfully deployed a new 100 gigabit (100G) Internet Protocol and Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (IP+DWDM) backbone network to better support cloud-based video and data services and further increase its competitiveness and ability to launch revenue-generating services. The network solution relies on the Cisco ASR 9000 Aggregation Services Router and coherent DWDM line cards on the Cisco ONS 15454 Multiservice Transport Platform (MSTP). 

As China's first-class cable platform and public information service provider, Wasu intends to use new cloud computing platforms to upgrade to an all-digital, two-way cable TV network across the province. The result will be a highly connected "Smart Zhejiang" and "Digital Homes," and the delivery of city cloud, home cloud, cloud TV, and cloud communication services throughout the Zhejiang province of China.

Wasu realized the need for a faster IP backbone to meet growing customer demands for greater bandwidth to grow its high-speed Internet and cable TV services. To address this, Wasu planned to expand its existing bandwidth and storage capacity five-fold to improve its existing cable infrastructure, deliver additional services, and better support high-definition (HD) video capabilities. To meet Wasu's requirements, Cisco offered a solution emphasizing the integration between core routers and the fiber platform and the use of fully converged IP and optical layers to realize the transmission of high-speed data and video streams. This proposal also eliminated any need to replace existing routers, protecting Wasu's existing investments, while ensuring highly resilient carrier-class performance to meet customer demand for reliable service delivery.

Different clouds are connected to multiple types of endpoints such as set-top boxes (both standard and HD), PCs, tablet computers, and smartphones via coaxial cables, 3G, or Wi-Fi. Wasu's video on demand (VoD) and Internet services are connected to the new 100G backbone network. Using a DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem termination system (CMTS), each set-top box can provide an average 200 Mbps video stream.

Today, Wasu's Cisco IP+100G DWDM backbone is making possible various cost efficiencies. Compared to the previous content delivery network, this backbone network can reduce OPEX by up to percent. In addition, with Cisco's IP+100G DWDM backbone, Wasu also introduced several new cloud-based services to improve the customer experience. For example, one of the most popular new services is "Cloud Broadband," which is designed to aggregate Wasu's own VoD content along with content from OTT providers. Through this service, subscribers can access Wasu's VoD content with high-speed, carrier-class efficiency on a range of network access devices, from TVs to smartphones and tablets.

"The broadcasting industry is undergoing tremendous changes and transformations," said Cisco vice president, Hanh Tu. "Taking advantage of our leading network and video technologies, Cisco strives to provide the most comprehensive network and video solutions for China's operators, to help them maximize their business value. We are honored to help Wasu deploy its new network, so that it can provide new video experiences and services for its subscribers."      

About Wasu

Wasu is a state-owned top level cable TV operator based in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang.  

About Cisco

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in IT that helps companies seize the opportunities of tomorrow by proving that amazing things can happen when you connect the previously unconnected. For ongoing news, please go to http://thenetwork.cisco.com

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