VOO selects ADVA Optical Networking and Arcadiz Telecom to provide new video-on-demand and Internet backhauling services

New technology enables Belgian cable operator to connect and standardize platforms, and deliver improved triple-play services

VOO, the leading provider of cable television service to Belgium’s Brussels and Wallonia regions, is interconnecting distribution networks and centralizing transport platforms with the implementation of a new Optical+Ethernet solution from ADVA Optical Networking, supported by system integrator Arcadiz Telecom.

Responding to increased demand for bandwidth and advanced services from its more than 1.2 million business and residential customers, VOO found itself rapidly integrating disparate networks spanning more than 2,000km that had to interoperate after the merger of multiple sub-regional networks. Deploying today’s most sought-after services, including Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Video-on-Demand (VoD), also required that VOO operate from a standardized infrastructure based on 1- and 10Gigabit Ethernet.

The flexible ADVA FSP 3000 multi-haul platform forms the basis of a 10Gbit/s optical backbone that is ready for geographic expansion as customers require. The same platform was chosen to support the multiple 1Gbit/s metro access rings that feed the service provider’s backhaul network. In order to deliver transparent sub-Gbit/s connections, the ADVA FSP 150 forms the critical demarcation point for the services VOO provides to its enterprise and carrier customers. The complete solution is managed by the ADVA Network Manager (NM), which enables carrier-class management functionality across all network elements, both optical and Ethernet.

“VOO, with its strong footprint in a very competitive broadband environment characterized by high cable penetration, has put in place an optimal converged next-generation network that will certainly prove to be key in delivering innovative services,” said Yann Evain, sales director Benelux for ADVA Optical Networking. “Platform efficiency and compact size also enable VOO to enjoy lower power consumption, another item that is important to the long-term success of this next-generation network.”

Systems integrator Arcadiz Telecom, which designed the solution, partnered with ADVA Optical Networking for the deployment of the network and will provide ongoing maintenance and support of VOO’s network moving forward. Arcadiz Telecom provides VOO with the required multilingual professional services and optical consultancy, assuring fast introduction of the new platform.

“Our partnership with ADVA Optical Networking is key to our DWDM network strategy and we are delighted that VOO has recognized the value that our combined strengths can deliver,” said Jos Vermeylen, Arcadiz’s managing director.

“Providing a cost-efficient and reliable transmission foundation for our next-generation service-enabling network was key to our triple-play strategy,” said Jean-Michel Adant, VOO’s chief technology officer (CTO). “The continuous support and expertise of Arcadiz, coupled with the quality and simplicity of the market-leading metro WDM solution from ADVA Optical Networking, were decisive elements in our selection process.”