Countdown to Cardiff – Building the Core Network
Preparation for the first phase of customer migration to 21CN continues to gather pace. Strategic vendor contracts have been signed, all 51 exchange sites have been uplifted, audited and completed, with customer migration in Cardiff and the surrounding areas expected to start in November 2006. Around 350,000 customer lines will be migrated and importantly, the experience and customer feedback from in South Wales will help finalise the plans to roll out 21CN to customers across the entire UK.
We are working to ensure that 21CN UK core IP/MPLS network is in place by the autumn. A mesh of core, metro and i-node-links will form the 21CN backbone network. It is imperative that the core network is in place before customer migration, as local networks will not work in isolation. They have to carry calls across the UK and international boundaries. The central core IP/MPLS network is the hub of 21CN and will enable many MSANs (multi-service access nodes) to be hooked up across the country.
We are taking the opportunity to install 21CN compliant DSLAMS to encourage broadband growth with around 1,000 up and running, across the country by the end of March. We will use existing fibre capacity where possible, however specifically for 21CN BT has already installed around 136 new fibre cables. They stretch more than 1000km with each pair of fibres having the potential to carry up to 400Gbit/s of voice and data traffic. To date more than 250 sites have been audited; more that 400k out of service lines removed and 30k renewed and 50k copper pairs returned. This work continues.
By late 2005 around 14 million customer calls had been successfully carried over an IP link using equipment from BT’s preferred 21CN suppliers. The voice transformation trial is due to restart over the next few weeks.
Together this is evidence that everything is coming together so that 21CN is on track for Cardiff and beyond.