A new 10-gigabit wavelength service from Frontier Communications, introduced yesterday in Frontier local markets in 25 states, should trigger some new fiber deployments to business locations. The carrier is prepared to lay fiber to buildings for customers that order the Frontier Optical Transport Service and do not already have fiber connectivity, said Lisa Partridge, Frontier manager of product management, in an interview.
“If we don’t lay the fiber someone else will,” said Partridge. “We believe it’s necessary because of how quickly bandwidth is doubling and tripling.”
Frontier is offering the service in wire centers where the company already has installed remotely configurable optical add/drop multiplexers (ROADMs) to support its own network needs, Partridge said.
The carrier expects to sell the new 10-gigabit wavelength service to enterprises and to other carriers who will add their own networking equipment. Customers can use IP, Sonet, Ethernet or other protocols, Partridge said, adding that she would expect Ethernet to be the most common choice.
Typically the connection the customer will buy will be part of a longer connection to another market, Partridge said. “Sometimes we’re the path that might have been missing and has become critical,” she said.
Customers purchasing Frontier Optical Transport Service will be able to order unprotected, protected or what Partridge called “protected-plus” service. The latter includes diverse fiber paths, she explained.
Frontier already has some customers lined up to use the new service. “Our carrier customers have been asking for this,” said Partridge.
She also noted that the company expects to have a 100-gigabit wavelength service offering before the end of the year.
The 25 markets where Frontier Optical Transport Service will be available are in Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
