Broadwing Claims First
Commercial All-Optical Network

Broadwing nets a series of firsts as its high speed, flexible network is launched. CEO Rick Ellenberger hails a new era of "liquid bandwidth" enabled by provisioning software and other technology.

by ISP-Planet Staff [April 6, 2001]

Broadwing Communications, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Broadwing, announced the deployment of what it claims is the first commercial deployment of an all-optical network.

Other firsts claimed by the company include the first 10 Gigabit/OC-192 product, the first Class of Service enabled IP VPN, the first network-based VoIP solution, and the first and only installation guarantee.

Broadwing president and CEO Rick Ellenberger said, "This first-of-its-kind network gives us the ability to offer bandwidth that is so flexible that it can best be described as 'liquid;' which for customers means bandwidth that can be poured anywhere, anytime, in any amount, and billed only for what is used."

He said that instant deployment of bandwidth is in the future.

"One of the exceptional advantages of liquid bandwidth is that provisioning a circuit is a keyboard exercise rather than a labor intensive, hardware driven event," said Ellenberger. "For example, visualize having the bandwidth you need in minutes rather than months, by clicking a mouse instead of waiting for a technician."

The installation guarantee will make the network attractive. Broadwing Communications promises on-time delivery of data and Internet products in 45 days or less, a 100% IP network guarantee, 99% packet delivery, and 65 ms roundtrip latency in the United States.

The company says its optical IP backbone is fully-meshed and provides one-hop routing from coast to coast.

Broadwing, formed by the merger of Cincinnati Bell and IXC Communications, has three subsidiaries: Broadwing Communications, Cincinnati Bell Telephone, and Zoom Town.com.

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