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SLT
further expand backbone infrastructure for Broadband services
Sri
Lanka Telecom, the nation’s number one integrated communications
service provider, last week announced it has enhanced its voice
and data networks to next generation architecture.
This countrywide state-of-the-art Internet Protocol/Multi Protocol
Label Switching (IP/MPLS) based communication backbone is capable
of connecting every corner in Sri Lanka, in order to deliver broadband
content.
IP/MPLS backbone
Today, the SLT core network has evolving towards IP/MPLS, which
can help SLT to meet the challenges successfully for IP bearer networks
such as Quality of Service (QoS), reliability, security, expansibility,
manageability as well as multi service bearing. As a result, the
traditional IP network has non-quality internet service, which is
being transformed into carrier class IP bearer network, with the
best multi-service. This includes Internet Protocol Television (IPTV),
Next Generation Network (NGN) and IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)
which allows SLT to enable Fixed-Mobile-Convergence (FMC).
This network is able to assist the company by CAPEX and OPEX reduction,
flexible operation management, value added services innovation and
business model improvement.
SLT also uses the MPLS network to deploy NGN especially in provisioning
traditional telephony services and more IP related services. The
service is currently provided in Matara on the same telephone set
but will evolve into broadband voice providing VoIP into soft or
hard IP telephone sets in the future. These VoIP phones will be
similar in appearance to Skype, with many added features such as
online directory services and IP based messaging. MPLS networks
are also used today for IP multicasting to enable video applications
such as IPTV on broadband access with IP converged triple play services
to the end user.
High Capacity Optical Fibre network
A high-speed island-wide optical fibre telecommunications infrastructure
is yet another goal for SLT with its Central, Metro and Southern
Ring, North - East Central Ring and East – Uva Central Ring
already in service. The company’s optical fibre ring network
has been designed to provide high transport capacity, which will
have around 1500km of optical fibers to interconnect all provinces
in Sri Lanka. The network establishment facilitates Sri Lankan’s
to have seamless connectivity island-wide.
In support of the fibre backbone, SLT has already introduced the
MPLS network, which is the next generation packet based IP transport
technology. The MPLS backbone expansion will enable the company
to spread its converged next generation all IP broadband services
such IPTV. The MPLS based network has been in operation since 2003,
covering all Metro rings along with Kandy and Negombo in the Central
Ring and Galle and Matara in the Southern Ring.
The SLT MPLS network infrastructure is expanding its coverage with
the northern, central and southern parts of the country. Major cities
already covered through fiber optic connectivity with the MPLS network,
includes Kandy, Galle, Matara, Gampaha, Negombo, Anuradhapura, Vavunia,
Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Awissawela, Ratnapura, Kalutara, Matara,
Hambantota and Kurunegala. Also Trincomalee and Jaffna will be covered
under the on-going network expansion very soon.
SLT Metro Ethernet
The company has already rolled out its Metro Ethernet Services in
order to support advanced data, voice, video and higher-speed internet
services. The Metro Ethernet is a Metro access network of fiber
optic rings based on MPLS technology connecting high-rise buildings.
The SLT Metro Ethernet services are mainly for businesses as well
as high-end business customers. It deployed the Metro Ethernet to
deliver end-to-end intelligent solutions to its corporate and SMB
customers, based on state-of-the-art MPLS technology. SLT Ethernet
will provide integrated single port connectivity for multiple services
such as voice, high-speed data, high speed internet, video conferencing
and networking solutions.
The SLT Metro Ethernet has already completed three access fiber
rings in Colombo, connecting 18 buildings. Plans are in place to
connect 100 buildings in Colombo by the end of this year. Each of
these buildings has an MPLS capable Metro Ethernet switch, which
can provide native Ethernet interface to the customer. This is because
the Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) can be directly connected
to the SLT Metro Ethernet.
Broadband demand
The main service provided by the SLT IP/MPLS backbone is providing
IP-VPN to its valuable corporate customers. SLT started its remote
VPN access based on IP-Sec which enables secure connection using
any access technology in 2005. This service provides many advantages
to customers by giving mobility and remote access. Customers can
also connect to the corporate VPN using any access technology such
as PSTN, ISDN, ADSL, CDMA, internet and Wi-Fi. Remote VPN access
will be available to any corporate VPN via GPRS in the near future.
The demand and growth rate of IP-VPN ports has increased 100% in
2006 compared to the year 2005. Globally, the growth of broadband
is 500%, which is a vital utility for both business and residence
entities and SLT ADSL showed the same trend in Sri Lanka, growing
over 100% per annum during the past four years.
Mega ICT projects running on SLT Broadband Network
SLT customers can enjoy a host of value added services such as broadband
internet, VoIP services, IPTV, Video on Demand (VoD), e-learning
and gaming, ushering in a new era in communications technology in
the country. This exciting new initiative has a wide variety of
national mega ICT projects running on its network such as SchoolNet,
Nenasala, LEARN and e-government to provide connectivity to many
schools, education institutes and homes across rural and urban Sri
Lanka. This helps the government and the Information and Communications
Technology Agency (ICTA) achieve the objectives of creating ‘e-citizens,’
by giving people access to information through the internet at affordable
prices.
ADSL technology evolution
ADSL technology has evolved into a new enhanced version such as
ADSL2 with a maximum speed of 12 Mbps and ADSL2+ with a maximum
speed of 23 Mbps. In terms of broadband services, ADSL supports
a downstream bandwidth of up to 8 Mbit/s and upstream bandwidth
of up to 800 Kbps. Such broadband access with the right QoS models
is what is required to achieve high bandwidth consumed services
such as IPTV. SLT well positioned to provide Digital Subscriber
Lines (DSL) through copper to every building where demand exists.
It can also provide this service to locations where fiber connectivity
is not practical. Also SLT is ready to introduce a Very High Bit
Rate Digital Subscriber Line (VDSL) version 2 services to valuable
customers in the near future. With VDSL2 technology SLT can provide
very high bandwidth of up to 52Mbps Symetric connectivity or 96Mbps
Assymetric connectivity via a VDSL connection.
IPTV - convergence of telecommunications and the media
The company’s IPTV services are set to pioneer IP based TV
broadcasting services in Sri Lanka as it is one of the most popular
entertainment media in the world. It will revolutionise the delivery
of TV programmes, delivering DVD quality video on MPEG 4 format
IPTV, which requires an ADSL service supporting a bandwidth of 2
Mbps exclusively for IPTV. The company already offers ADSL in major
cities, with plans to expand the broadband network to make ADSL
available in other regions.
With this initiative, SLT customers will be able to enjoy entertainment
services delivered to their home via the same SLT wired connectivity.
IPTV enables SLT, the country’s only wire line service providers
to offer real-time TV broadcast programming, Video-on-Demand and
other advanced services over broadband connections to televisions.
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