Metro-Wave

For many years AboveNet has successfully built and managed bespoke Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) networks for large enterprises. With the high bandwidth requirements that make such a network cost-effective, the benefits that this type of technology and infrastructure can offer have largely been unavailable to the majority of companies. Using its experience and knowledge of the London market, AboveNet has built a large scale WDM network connecting key areas in London. By selling services individually AboveNet is offering more organisations an opportunity to benefit from this next generation network.

The AboveNet Metro-Wave product provides customers with a managed optical wavelength service between the major business districts within the London metropolitan area. Combining its extensive dark fibre network with Nortel’s market leading WDM equipment, AboveNet has built a network which spans from the Docklands in the east through the City, out to Heathrow and Slough in the west.

Metro-Wave enables the simultaneous transportation of multiple services utilising multiple protocols over a private fibre-based infrastructure. Metro-Wave offers flexibility combined with true scalability.

A complete range of services can be supported including:

As customers receive a dedicated wavelength, the data is secure and separate from other users and avoids the risks of traversing more traditional Telco infrastructures.

Features and Benefits

Fibre Network
AboveNet’s network has been constructed to the highest standards, with the use of sub-ducts and anti-terrorist lockable covers, allowing customers to deploy business critical applications.

Scalable and Flexible
The network is designed to support hundreds of gigabits per second of data transfer and with more locations being added over time, customers are easily able to increase bandwidth, add services or change the topology of their networks.

Secure and Reliable
AboveNet’s highly secure fibre network combined with the latest in WDM technology provides a robust and reliable platform.

Protocol Independent
Transporting virtually any optical signal, regardless of the protocol.

Single Point of Contact
AboveNet provides a single point of contact for all support queries with a clear escalation path.

Product Design

AboveNet has deployed WDM infrastructure at several datacentres across London. Customers are able to purchase services between these datacentres by simply cross-connecting to an AboveNet rack. Customers can also have services to their own locations as AboveNet can provision dedicated fibre tails from the closest Metro-Wave PoP on the AboveNet network.

As standard, each service provides a local client-side port for connection into the customer’s network. Each port provides the customer with a standard short-range interface to work with their existing equipment. This port is AboveNet’s demarcation point to the service.

For services delivered to customer locations outside the Metro-Wave PoP, AboveNet offers two connectivity options. AboveNet can provide a simple dark fibre tail, with both AboveNet and the customer supplying the appropriate optics either end to light the service. Alternatively, AboveNet is able to offer a managed tail circuit with AboveNet deploying additional equipment to light the fibre.

Metro-Wave - Typical Components

AboveNet Fibre Network
The Metro-Wave network sits upon AboveNet’s own metropolitan dark fibre network. The fibre itself is the latest ribbon fibre and AboveNet uses an enhanced version of standard singlemode fibre. For tails to customer locations, AboveNet will provision two fibres in a point-to-point configuration for each service. These fibres will be dedicated to each customer, keeping customer data away from legacy Telco infrastructures so often used for last-mile connectivity.

Metro-Wave Equipment
AboveNet uses Nortel’s market leading OM5000 series equipment to provide customers with the high level of performance, reliability and scalability their applications require. AboveNet has been working with Nortel and the OM5000 platform for over seven years with vast experience in all aspects of network design and management.

Metro-Wave Management
The Metro-Wave equipment provides comprehensive management functionality with AboveNet utilising third party leased-lines to provide out-of-band access to the network. The equipment is fully supported by the AboveNet Network Management Centre (NMC) on a 24 x 7 basis, allowing AboveNet’s engineers to interrogate the equipment configuration for remote traffic analysis, trouble shooting, alarm validation and resolution.

AboveNet utilises its own engineers to provide all services including staging, commissioning, installation, troubleshooting and maintenance (break/fix) including on-site out of hours engineering support.