Shenandoah Telecommunications (News - Alert) Company has been in business since 1902 providing services to rural and underserved markets. Today the company provides digital TV, high-speed Internet and phone services. In continuing with its tradition of providing the latest available technology to this market, the company is launching a100G network powered by Cisco's (News - Alert) next-generation coherent DWDM solution. Using Cisco's ASR 9000 Series and 100G coherent DWDM solution will provide Shenandoah with high-density 10G and 100G interfaces for the network edge with a resilient high-speed IP service.

The telecom company is going to be updating its dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) fiber-optic network with Cisco's Coherent DWDM technology. This upgrade will allow the company to provide its subscribers in Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland with 100 gigabit per second speeds.

The ASR 9000 platform offers plug-and-play like functionality which allows it to be configured to meet the bandwidth needs of customers. By supporting multiple 100G support and multiple 10G service on demand, Shentel (News - Alert) will be able to expand its fiber network with a flexible and scalable multi-degree reconfigurable optical add drop multiplexer (MD-ROADM) DWDM 100G network that can be upgraded to new markets without new hardware. It is powered by Cisco's nLight Silicon, which is capable of transmitting up to 100G wavelengths over fully uncompensated networks, up to 3,000 km (1864 mile) optical spans without regeneration

"We are continually trying to ensure we deliver the fastest, most reliable and most advanced services to our subscribers. Our transition to 100G was not a question of when – we recognized the need to act now and as a result are among the first regional service providers in the US to deliver 100G speeds. The transition is already paying off through our ability to test and deploy new services quickly," said Ed McKay, Vice President of Engineering & Planning, Shentel

The Cisco ASR 9000 as implemented by Shentel will give the company a next-generation carrier Ethernet networks with up to 96 terabits (Tbps) per system. In order to stay competitive, networks have to make provisions for the amount of traffic that will be generated with mobile, visual, and virtual services with architecture that is easy to manage and allow carriers to monetize new services by reducing operational costs and enhancing customer experiences.

The Cisco DWDM is deployed in Virginia (Ashburn, Herndon, Leesburg, Harrisonburg, Winchester, Warrenton, Front Royal, Edinburg, Christiansburg, Rustburg, Rocky Mount, Farmville, and Wytheville), West Virginia (Charleston, Martinsburg, Weston, and Summersville) and Maryland (Hagerstown).

"The rapid pace of M2M connectivity across people, places and things, in addition to continued demand for high-bandwidth content, requires service providers to rethink their technology infrastructures to ensure they remain relevant. Shentel has great foresight to complete this initiative now to address current and projected internal and external requirements. They are ahead of the curve and have an even stronger foundation to deliver new and enhanced services," Sri Hosakote, Vice President and General Manager, High-end Routing and Optical group, Cisco.