RAD Cost-Effectively Extends Ethernet Service Footprint in Central Oregon SONET Network Brings Next-Generation Services to a Geographically Dispersed Region July 11, 2005: Quantum Communications, a competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) serving the small cities and vast stretch of rural regions that comprise central Oregon, has deployed intelligent converters from RAD Data Communications to leverage its extensive TDM-based SONET network to provide next-generation Ethernet services. With an installed fiber network connecting Bend, Oregon with the cities of Redmond and Madras, Quantum provides businesses in these areas with traditional TDM telephony, next-generation Ethernet, and virtual private network (VPN) services. One of the company’s key objectives, therefore, is to provide out-of-network coverage for the surrounding, geographically dispersed regions not directly connected to their fiber network. Transparently Passes All the TrafficTo do that, Quantum had to find a way to utilize its existing SONET network to transport next-generation Ethernet. After comparing RAD's RICi-T1 intelligent converter with a selection of competitive products from other manufacturers, Quantum decided that the RICi-T1 offered the best possible solution. "RAD's RICi-T1 was chosen based on its feature set, as well as its attractive price," states Patrick Cahill, Quantum's Network Administrator. "When working with other vendors' products in a bridging mode, they are not manageable in the way we need them to be," continues Cahill. "However, the RICi-T1 has the ability to transparently pass all the traffic, while still allowing us full remote control." The RICi-T1's superior manageability greatly reduces Quantum's maintenance costs and system downtime as they can troubleshoot network complications via an SNMP connection, a Web browser or Telnet from their central site. This enables them to manage customer located units remotely, saving expensive "truck rolls" for service visits. Differentiated QoS LevelsThe RICi-T1 also enables Quantum to offer Service Level Agreements (SLA) with differentiated Quality of Service (QoS) levels. With SLAs, Quantum can offer customers like central Oregon's multi-location regional hospital the high levels of QoS necessary to provide real-time reliability for critical applications, such as medical seminar videoconferencing or data transmission for centralized, remote patient monitoring. Meanwhile, businesses with less urgent data transmission needs, for applications like email and general Internet access, can subscribe to a less stringent and less expensive SLA. Differentiated SLAs mean that each customer pays only according to his or her specific needs; not an averaged flat rate that overcharges some and undercharges others. Better still, as a customer's data transmission needs change, so can the SLA – with just a few strokes of the keyboard. The RICi-T1 not only enables Quantum to deliver leading-edge next-generation data communications throughout its rural Oregon service area, but also to attract and maintain customers with a range of competitive rates.
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