Virgin Media O2 Taps Ciena to Switch on Converged Interconnected Network

Virgin Media O2 has successfully brought together its fixed and mobile networks to create a Converged Interconnect Network (CIN) - a new network built to carry both mobile and fixed traffic. Designed with the future in mind, the next-generation CIN is scalable and ready to meet the evolving needs of consumers and businesses.

The CIN effectively takes the core deeper into Virgin Media O2’s network, with IP routed networks deployed in the access network. This allows different services to coexist on the network and be managed more easily, with the end customer closer to an optimised, scalable and extremely high-capacity network.

The new network can be quickly scaled up to provide greater capacity as demand for data grows, both in response to changing consumer preferences and as new areas receive connectivity.

Many Virgin Media O2 customers are already experiencing symmetrical broadband speeds of up to 2Gbps, allowing them to quickly and easily upload and download very large files. The operator has also boosted backhaul connection capacity tenfold at a number of cell sites to ensure customers can access fast and reliable mobile data on the go. These initiatives are significantly accelerating connections to the core network and contributing to a growing demand for data.

By using one common infrastructure for both mobile and fixed traffic, the new interconnect network significantly improves how the operator can manage traffic across both Virgin Media and O2 services, aggregating data closer to the end user before routing it back to the core network. This makes the network more efficient, increases resilience and provides a more consistent experience for customers.

Virgin Media O2 customers are benefitting from this with improved latency, faster response times and a superior network performance. Additionally, the architecture of the new CIN means there is no single point of failure which will reduce the likelihood of disruptive network outages and ensure greater reliability across broadband and mobile services.

The CIN architecture also enables improved delivery of Virgin Media Business Wholesale’s 10Gbps services, allowing business wholesale partners to scale operations far more quickly and seamlessly.

Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “The switch on of our Converged Interconnect Network is a critical moment in our long-term strategy and evolution as we combine the power of our two scaled networks to give customers an unrivalled experience. This new network architecture brings together two separate networks for the first time, enabling more efficient, scalable and resilient data movement. It enables us to deliver next generation services to our broadband and mobile customers across the country, ensuring we’re ready to keep on meeting their needs both now and in future.”

Ciena is supporting Virgin Media O2’s CIN architecture with its 5171 and 8180 coherent routers with WaveLogic 5 Nano coherent pluggable optics—all managed by Navigator Network Control Suite. The space- and power-optimized solution allows Virgin Media O2 to realize its strategic objectives for network and service convergence.

Virginie Hollebecque, Vice President and Leader of EMEA at Ciena, said: “Virgin Media O2’s new CIN marks a significant milestone in the operator’s network evolution by joining together its fixed and mobile networks to create a more sustainable, streamlined, and scalable infrastructure. Leveraging Ciena’s advanced networking solution, the CIN architecture optimises efficiency, improves network resiliency, and enhances service delivery to keep pace with the evolving needs of Virgin Media O2’s customers.”