GCI Deploys OptiFlow Network

Alaska's GCI will use Coriolis' platform to add VLAN-based Ethernet and multipoint provisioning capabilities to its OC-48 fiber rings.

by Thor Olavsrud of internetnews.com [May 2, 2002]

Alaskan integrated communication provider GCI (NASDAQ:GNCMA) is gearing up to deploy Boxborough, Mass.-based Coriolis Network Inc.'s OptiFlow Network solution in order to deliver transparent LAN service, virtual local area network (VLAN) Internet access and multipoint VLANs for multipoint transport layer security (TLS).

GCI said Coriolis' technology will allow it to deliver more customizable service packages to its enterprise customers by allowing them to "burst" up to higher bandwidth during peak usage periods.

"We took a look at several other established and emerging vendors during our evaluation process," said Gregory W. Pearce, vice president of GCI. "It was an easy decision to select Coriolis given the capabilities of the OptiFlow platform to help us provision and deliver a number of services—including Ethernet—in a highly economical way. Coriolis' technology allows us to create differentiated service packages for our enterprise customers, making us more competitive in the local exchange. At the same time, they help us improve our bottom line by reducing the costs associated with transporting network traffic."

Coriolis' platform will allow GCI's customers to order a 10, 25 or 50 megabit-per-second service to burst beyond their committed information rate (CIR), rather than having to purchase multiple T1 circuits. OptiFlow can also be used to increase a carrier's saleable amount of bandwidth by allowing for dynamic bandwidth use. This allows the carrier to reallocate bandwidth for another circuit's use when a circuit is not using its burst capacity.

"Simply put, Coriolis helps carriers, like GCI, create new revenue streams by capitalizing on their existing infrastructure," said Robert L. Castle, president and chief executive officer of Coriolis Networks.

GCI anticipates deploying the platform in May and turning up services in June. In the first phase of deployment, the company will install the OptiFlow 5500 trunk unit with OptiFlow 1020 service units on OC-48 rings. The trunk unit will be in GCI's central office, while the service units will be dispersed in customer premises throughout the coverage area. GCI said it is likely to deploy up to 26 OptiFlow 1020 service units in 2002.

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