CityLink to deploy Juniper networking equipment, launch more services in 2014

CityLink, wholly owned subsidiary of the NZX publically listed TeamTalk group of companies, and operator of New Zealand’s Internet Exchange Points, is all set to move its routing and switching infrastructure to Juniper by the end of the first half of 2014.

The deployment, which will cover the company’s data centres in Auckland and Wellington, will see it replacing its current Cisco infrastructure with Juniper Universal Edge routers and Ethernet switches.

“This is more of a case of continuing investment in our networks to keep up with increasing demand and capacity requirements. The Cisco network was coming to its end-of-life, and we needed next stage of investment to support customers,” said Nick Willis, CEO at CityLink.

These new investments, which follows the firm’s announcement to deploy Noviflow’s software defined networking (SDN) equipment in November, will enable the firm to offer additional services to its customers.

“CityLink provides wholesale services to ISP customers as well as providing business-class services to businesses. We are doing the same thing in the Wifi network, where we are able to provide wholesale Wifi to companies and other organisation on top of the backend. That is something we are expanding at the moment. The Juniper kit will help us provide this.

“We have 200 access points supporting users. We are expanding on the internet exchanges with SDN, as well as extending the high speed Wifi capability out across the network. That is something the Juniper backbone will allow us to do,” says Willis.

Juniper’s technology will provide Ethernet connectivity on top of the firm’s existing fibre which, Willis states, “is faster than the high-speed UFB network that is being talked about so much.” The SDN and Wifi services, which will utilise the company’s existing fibre investment, will be the key focus for 2014.

“We are continuously making investments and growing out our networks. As a company we have a $3 million capex budget to invest in infrastructure. That is our annual spend, as part of the TeamTalk group.

CityLink’s investments in 2014 will include an expansion of its current datacentre capacity.

“We have got datacentre space in three locations and we are taking one of our existing data centres in Wellington and doubling its capacity. We are taking it from 20 racks to 40 racks. That will come online in the first quarter of 2014,” says Willis.

The company will also be expanding its coverage in urban areas in the country in the new year.