Internode plans backbone bandwidth boost

Stuart Corner
Monday, 21 November 2005 16:20

Business IT - Networking

Broadband ISP, Internode, is planning to increase capacity on its backbone network in preparation for delivering video-on-demand services throughout Australia.

By early 2006 it plans to have a carrier-grade SDH network running on Nextgen's national fibre network giving it a total of 4.8Gbps of capacity between most capital cities. On these links it plans to increase the bandwidth on its existing inter-capital Internet links between Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra, from 1 x 155 Mbps to 2 x 622Mbps links.

It will also add two extra 155 Mbps links to its Southern Cross Cable Network-provided capacity to give almost 1Gbps of tolerant international network capacity to its dedicated routers in the US. It says that further expansion of international links with the addition of international STM-4 (622Mbps) links is planned for 2006.

Internode CEO, Simon Hackett, said the company was investing in the additional capacity to meet anticipated demand for "triple play" services in 2006. "With this upgrade, we can fearlessly drive video around the country," he said.

He added "Our SDH equipment makes us a true Tier-1 carrier, providing us with enormous slabs of reserved bandwidth [that can be carved up] into chunks that are usable by business...We can provide private inter-capital circuits to business up into the gigabit range.

"[Our SDH network] also gives us the facility to carve off our own dedicated protected circuit capacity to haul video content between states as part of our triple-play service rollouts in 2006."