Iceland’s telecomms gets Ethernet upgrade

31 October 2008

Icelandic telecommunications infrastructure provider Mila has embarked on a project to establish an Ethernet network for control and management of the various transmission systems that it operates and maintains around Iceland.

Iceland’s telecommunications infrastructure gets an Ethernet upgrade

Central to its innovative solution are managed Ethernet switches from GarrettCom Europe, delivering the requisite flexibility along with the reliability needed to operate in environmentally challenging remote locations. Mila has set out to build and operate the most modern telecommunications network possible in Iceland.

The country is today recognised as being one of the most sophisticated in the world in terms of its information and communications technology, with a large-scale infrastructure extremely well suited to the needs of domestic users as well as to the emerging technological requirements of businesses and institutions.

Mila is active in selling its solutions to companies and institutions engaged in telecommunications activities, but it is also charged with providing connections to the network for other telecommunications companies through various solutions.

Mila operates and maintains a number of different telecommunications systems, including SDH, DWDM, xHDSL and microwave links. These different systems are located in both urban and rural areas around Iceland in numerous locations. To provide effective control and management of these systems Mila is now in the process of establishing an Ethernet network. With the aim of building in maximum flexibility, Mila decided to build a Layer 2 network and to use VLAN (virtual local area network) technology to provide segmentation between the different telecommunications systems.

A VLAN is a group of hosts with a common set of requirements that communicate as if they were attached to the same wire, even through they may be in completely different locations. The VLAN allows end stations to be grouped together even if they are not located on the same LAN segment, and network configuration can be done through software using the IEEE 802.1Q protocol instead of physically relocating devices. For Mila, the VLAN provides the means to provide services flexibly, allowing simple network management to go hand in hand with ready scalability and effective security.

The VLAN exists within a defined set of Ethernet switches. To establish a reliable network, Mila determined that only the most rugged and reliable of Ethernet switches would suffice, with much of the equipment located in remote areas and subject to extreme temperature variations. The switches needed to offer a high level of configuration flexibility and rich features, and were also required to run on a -48V power source.
To meet these requirements, Mila turned to GarrettCom Europe, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of industrial and carrier-class Ethernet LAN products. GarrettCom Europe supplied a number of its 6K32T managed switches for test purposes, as well as on-site training.

The 6K32T is a managed Ethernet switch combines the highest Gigabit capability in its class with ultimate configuration flexibility. The modular design can be configured with up to four Gigabit ports and flexible combinations of 100Mb copper and fibre ports. This allows users to precisely tailor the product to meet the exact requirements of the application. They are also hardened as standard against the most demanding operating conditions.

Mila is now well under way in establishing its Ethernet network for control and management of the various transmission systems located around the country.

When the project is completed, Mila will be in the best possible position to ensure effective control and management of Mila’s transmission systems in both a flexible and cost-effective manner.