Intelligent CIO Africa Issue 88 | Page 53

CASE STUDY customers . MetroFibre can now supply scalable bandwidth to end customers much faster , even at bigger bandwidth speeds , while maintaining low latency , high throughput and high availability , all very important for South African customers .
The high speed , high capacity , low latency network links all major nodes in Cape Town and enables MetroFibre to service everyone from small clients to big fintech who need to scale up to very large bandwidths . A key factor was that there is a single trench policy for all services in Cape Town . NEC XON therefore built a diverse network route to ensure safety and ease of access .
The comprehensive approach included planning and rollout of the solution . From the initial design phase to after-sales support , the system has been handed over to MetroFibre for ongoing management . This network ensures low latency and end-to-end encryption capabilities .
Cape Town has become a preferred homebase for global hyper-scaler cloud providers , further expanding their presence in the region . Leveraging globally compliant Carrier Ethernet 3.0 network , MetroFibre delivers on the most stringent service level agreements with high resiliency , ultra-low latency , and carrier-grade connectivity to meet the sophisticated needs of businesses .
NEC XON has a long-standing relationship with MetroFibre , with a skilled , implementation team . From design to implementation and post-implementation support , MetroFibre enjoys in-city access to capacity from the NEC XON NOC and extensive support services , with quick turnaround times on support .
Benefits and compliance
Juniper Network ’ s based solution from NEC XON delivers the benefits that MetroFibre needs to provide to its clients : reliability , scalability , security , performance , flexibility , and manageability . Networks should be designed with tools and protocols that allow for easy management , diagnostics , and troubleshooting , featuring user-friendly interfaces for network administrators .
A significant differentiator is MetroFibre ’ s diverse network in Cape Town , where routes are not shared with other fibre network operators . This unique approach ensures true route and carrier diversity for customers , offering reliability and resiliency .
Unlike fibre network operators that share the same route , MetroFibre ’ s network is not susceptible to potential disruptions experienced by others . In
situations where downtime can be more than an inconvenience and potentially catastrophic for businesses , a diverse and redundant fibre connectivity solution becomes preferable .
Adds Gary Webster , Head of Wholesale , MetroFibre , “ Our MEF 3.0 Carrier Ethernet enterprise offerings are equipped with high service level agreements , specifically designed to meet business needs . In contrast , the majority of current fibre deployments in Cape Town are GPON-based and not suited for the demands of large commercial operations . Additionally , all MetroFibre Points of Presence are configured to handle load shedding beyond stage 8 .”
The Carrier Ethernet 3.0 programme , endorsed by the Metro Ethernet Forum , MEF provides a framework through which service providers and equipment vendors globally demonstrate compliance with recognised MEF Carrier Ethernet service specifications . CE 3.0 standards accelerate the deployment of Carrier Ethernet services fibre for businesses by streamlining the assessment of service offerings and equipment . MEF compliance verifies that the services are fully standardised for global deployment .
With the help from NEC XON and Juniper networks , MetroFibre Networx owns and manages South Africa ’ s first globally compliant Carrier Ethernet 3.0 openaccess fibre network . This network enhances access , scalability , and reliability for clients , connecting over 60 cloud , application , voice , and Internet service providers with their customers . p
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