OREANDA-NEWS. February 15, 2011.   Fujitsu, a leading provider of business, information technology, and communications solutions, announced today that Northwestel, which delivers a broad range of telecommunications and entertainment solutions to northern Canada, has selected the Fujitsu FLASHWAVE® 9500 Packet Optical Networking Platform (Packet ONP) and professional services to bring high speed data, voice and cable television services to its coverage area. The network will enable these services while creating a scalable infrastructure for future growth.

“Part of our 2011 Vision is to focus on offering innovative technology to our customers that continues to transform communications in Northern Canada,” said Don Pumphrey, vice president for Information and Technology Management at Northwestel. “The FLASHWAVE 9500 platform and critical maintenance services from Fujitsu allow us to operate one of the most adaptable, scalable and highest-performing networks in Canada, capable of supporting multiple forms of traffic over a single infrastructure. Working with Fujitsu has been key in transforming our network to a next-generation, resilient infrastructure that enables us to profitably deliver enhanced services to our customers.”

Northwestel delivers local and long distance telephone services; digital and analog cable television; and advanced data communications, including high-speed Internet, to more than 115,000 residents across a very geographically diverse territory in northern Canada. Northwestel deployed the Fujitsu FLASHWAVE 9500 platform to handle dynamic wavelength routing and bandwidth provisioning across its network as the company increases the capacity of its network in Canada’s Northwest Territories. As demonstrated by these enhancements, Northwestel is committed to implementing intelligent, advanced network technology solutions that translate to high-quality services for its customers.

“Today’s advanced applications drive end users to consistently demand more bandwidth, and our state-of-the-art equipment enables Northwestel to maximize its existing infrastructure in response to these demands,” said Rod Naphan, vice president of product and strategic planning at Fujitsu Network Communications. “Northwestel is committed to bringing service to Canada’s North. By deploying our equipment and utilizing our professional services throughout their network’s lifecycle, Northwestel will have a highly reliable network that can be easily upgraded to Carrier Ethernet technology and even greater capacity as needed for more innovative services to their customers.”

To minimize start-up time, maximize resources and ensure a smooth implementation, Northwestel also brought in Fujitsu professional services for network planning, design and management. The Fujitsu NETSMART® 2000 Planning and Design tool was used to greatly reduce the time normally required for network planning to just a matter of days. The Fujitsu NETSMART 1500 Management System was also deployed to provide rapid provisioning of new circuits as well as continuous visibility into network performance. In total, Fujitsu professional services personnel provided engineering, furnishing, installation, turn-up and testing of the new network. As Northwestel continues to grow, the company will utilize a Fujitsu Maintenance and Support Program, along with additional training and furnished materials, to ensure their network runs at peak performance.

The Fujitsu FLASHWAVE 9500 Packet ONP is a lasting technology foundation for the evolving packet-centric network. This platform integrates Connection-Oriented Ethernet (COE) and Layer 1 transport technologies. It delivers high-bandwidth, high-quality packet, TDM, and WDM services on an open platform built for today’s multiprotocol environment. The FLASHWAVE 9500 packet ONP also helps reduce the complexity, and ultimately the cost, of the metro/regional transport network.