SUNNYVALE, CA. -- March 29, 1999 -- Frontier Communications announced today that it will double capacity for commercial Internet traffic along the first national high-speed native Internet Protocol (IP) backbone, a part of the Frontier Optronics Network(SM). The Frontier IP backbone uses the Cisco 12000 Gigabit Switch Router (GSR) to run IP directly over the optical layer, bypassing traditional SONET or ATM layers, the first such network to pass commercial traffic at OC-48 or 2.5 Gbps (Gigabits per second) speeds. This architecture gives the network enhanced capacity efficiency and a significantly lower cost of maintenance.
Frontier will have two OC-48 circuits linking Los Angeles to New York City by the end of the second quarter 1999. The company further plans to deploy OC-192, or 10 Gbps, coast-to-coast by Q1 2000. Frontier's goal is to have the most reliable IP network, with the lowest latency for real-time applications, and with scalability for capacity that outpaces demand.
Frontier has worked with Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) to run IP directly over dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM), a technology that separates a strand of optical fiber in to many virtual strands by different light frequencies. In July of last year, Frontier used Cisco routers to deploy the first-ever wide-area use of IP over DWDM in the network segment that connected Los Angeles with San Francisco. Frontier's innovative Internet and data services, which has qualified for the Cisco PN designation, rely on the Frontier Optronics Network.
"Frontier clearly has made the commitment to be a leading vendor in the data and Internet markets, and is an exciting company to work with," said Graeme Fraser, vice president and general manager of the Optical Internetworking Business Unit at Cisco Systems. "We worked closely with Frontier to optimize our equipment for their application, and we've been impressed with the speed they've moved to deploy their network."
"Cisco is clearly the right company for us to work with," said Don Detampel, Frontier's senior vice president of Internet and data products. "We worked closely with Cisco to realize our network vision. We highly value our relationship with Cisco and couldn't have achieved this industry milestone without them."
About Frontier Communications
Frontier Communications, a unit of Frontier Corporation (NYSE:FRO), is one of the leading providers of integrated communications solutions including Internet, IP and data applications, long distance, local telephone and conferencing to business customers nationwide. The self-healing Frontier Optronics Network(SM) provides customers with faster transmission speeds, greater bandwidth capacity and unrivaled reliability.
