SAN JOSE, Calif., December 4, 2001 - Cisco Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:CSCO), the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, today announced that Williams Communications (NYSE: WCG) has selected the market-leading Cisco ONS 15454 Metro Optical Transport Platform as part of the optical transport backbone for its new on-net metropolitan access networks.
"The Cisco ONS 15454 is already widely deployed in Williams Communications' state of the art nationwide fiber-optic network," said Dan Miller, vice president of access services for Williams Communications' network unit. "We've selected the ONS 15454 for our metro access platform because of its ability to easily handle data traffic and to provide the reliable delivery of service our customers have come to expect."
Williams Communications, operator of the largest next-generation network in the United States, is currently offering on-net local transport services in 19 metro markets and to 100 metro access points with plans for 20 markets by year-end. Williams Communications offers metro private line and optical wave service today and will offer metro Ethernet service by early 2002. The company is using the ONS 15454 multiservice optical transport platform to cost effectively deliver the next-generation, high revenue private line services its customers demand.
"Williams Communications has long been a pioneer in building next generation optical networks to bring the highest quality of transport services to its customers," said Tom Fallon, vice president and general manager, Optical Transport at Cisco Systems. "Williams Communications continues to maximize the flexibility and scalability of this market leading platform to add value and extend its reach into the metro. We're delighted that they've selected us to build the heart of their metro optical infrastructures."
Williams Communications has extended its award-winning long haul network to carrier and high-bandwidth customers in metro areas giving them access to its high-speed private line and Optical Wave ServiceSM within major cities such as Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles and San Francisco. This expansion complements an already robust local access service offered by Williams Communications via agreements with other local access providers in each of its points of presence (POPs), enabling local transport services at cost-competitive rates to thousands of buildings. Williams Communications is currently providing on-net local access services to KDDI America Inc., Teleglobe and a major Tier 1 Internet service provider among others.
About the Cisco ONS 15454
The Cisco ONS 15454, the most rapidly accepted metro transport platform in the industry, features scalable SONET transport from DS1 to OC-192, integrated optical networking with ITU Grid Wavelengths and DWDM, unprecedented multiservice interfaces and radical economic benefits. The ONS 15454 is an integral part of the Cisco Complete Optical Multiservice Edge and Transport (COMET) portfolio, providing the flexibility and scalability to enable rapid, cost-effective deployment of value-added voice, video and data services.
About Cisco's Complete Optical Multiservice Edge and Transport Portfolio
The Cisco Complete Optical Multiservice Edge and Transport (COMET) product line offers maximum service velocity, density, variety, and capacity, building the foundation to accelerate IP+Optical networking. Supporting TDM, Ethernet, IP, Storage, and Wavelength services over SONET and DWDM with integrated bandwidth management and end-to-end provisioning, the Cisco COMET portfolio offers efficient, unprecedented flexibility and capacity. With the Cisco COMET portfolio, enterprises and service providers drive profitability and accelerate IP+Optical networking.
