Computerworld

Optus braces for data spike with Juniper switch

Packet transport switch to be deployed first in Melbourne.

To prepare for growing data traffic, Optus will use a packet transport switch by Juniper for its converged wireline and 4G mobile network, Juniper said.

The Juniper switch, PTX5000, uses multiprotocol label switching (MPLS). Optus will first deploy the switch in Melbourne and plans to expand to other “core points of presence” later in the year, Juniper said.

Optus chose the Juniper switch because “it provides the density required to support our growth plans,” Optus vice president of converged service engineering, Karim Nejaim, said in a statement.

“The optimised nature of the PTX platform will also help us manage our cost base as we grow our network, while the power efficiency of the platform will help us support growth within a manageable power environment.”

Optus has 4G coverage in Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, with plans to reach Adelaide and Canberra in the first half of this year.

The mobile industry is experiencing spiking demand for data as more consumers buy smartphones and tablets.

“The industry faces the challenge of meeting unprecedented consumer demand for advanced mobile services, such as mobile broadband which is driving huge growth in mobile data traffic,” Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association's (AMTA) chairman, Warwick Bray, said last year.

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