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Calix brings multi-terabit speed to fiber access with the launch of the Calix E7-20


WEBWIRE

High capacity, low latency, all-fiber architecture designed to meet demands of the next generation Internet today

LAS VEGAS, NV —Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) today announced the launch of the E7-20 multi-terabit Ethernet Service Access Platform (ESAP), expanding its Unified Access portfolio with a high capacity, low latency, all-fiber access concentrator designed for “an all-video world.” Architected to meet the needs of the next generation Internet where high bandwidth Internet protocol (IP) video streams proliferate and are delivered over fiber access infrastructure, the E7-20 is a two terabit per second (Tbps) access concentrator with the ability to deliver hundreds, even thousands, of megabits per second (Mbps) of high-bandwidth, video-rich content to every residential or business subscriber. Initially supporting gigabit passive optical networking (GPON), Active Ethernet (AE), and point-to-point gigabit Ethernet (GE) services on the subscriber side and multiple 10 gigabit Ethernet (10GE) transport services on the network side, the E7-20 has the capacity to deliver 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) to each of its 20 universal line card slots. This enables the platform to support emerging technologies such as 10 gigabit passive optical networking (10G PON), 10 Gbps Ethernet (10GE) aggregation, and 100 Gbps Ethernet (100GE) uplinks. A powerful complement to the Calix Unified Access portfolio and a partner platform to the widely deployed E7-2 modular ESAP, the E7-20 is optimized for bringing “Fiber Forward” in the access network, giving communications service providers pursuing a future network vision of all-IP services over “glass” the peace of mind that they now have an access deployment option capable of supporting their bandwidth needs for the next generation.

“The E7-20 is a great example of a new generation of fiber access delivery vehicles,” says Matt Davis, Consumer and SMB Broadband director at IDC. “The bandwidth requirements of the access network are accelerating exponentially as video proliferates. Service Providers will ultimately be required to move beyond existing copper or hybrid infrastructure to fiber-based platforms in order to deliver the advanced services of tomorrow.”

The E7-20 is the second member of the E7 family to be introduced, and is focused exclusively on Ethernet-based fiber access services deployed in high density and high capacity environments. Designed for the operational challenges of an all-fiber world as well, the E7-20 was architected to elegantly address the demanding physical management challenges of high volumes of fiber terminations in the central office that can accompany AE deployments. For less dense or remote locations, the E7-2 modular chassis can be deployed, focused on the same fiber access services and retaining the same non-blocking 100 Gbps per slot architecture, but allowing a pay-as-you-grow deployment option. For service providers with copper in their networks or still evolving their networks from a multiprotocol TDM, ATM, and SONET-based infrastructures to Ethernet, the Calix C7 provides an ideal option as North America’s most widely deployed multiservice, multiprotocol platform.

Slated to trial in access networks in the first part of 2011 and widely available by mid-year, each E7-20 will serve up to 480 dedicated AE subscribers or 5,120 GPON subscribers – with sufficient headroom to accommodate more than 20,000 subscribers through the introduction of higher density and higher capacity line cards in the future. With centralized switching controllers, the E7-20 was designed to deliver fully redundant, carrier grade performance, with full support for standards-based Ethernet ring protection switching (ERPS) and rapid spanning tree protocol (RSTP), as well as 10GE uplinks and link aggregation. Initially, the platform will come to market with three line cards supporting and array of fiber access services:

* SCP-10GE – A switch control processor, this card has four GE SFP ports and two 10GE ports that support both SFP+ and XFP, as well as a 100 Gbps switching capacity
* GE-24x – Focused on AE and point-to-point Ethernet services, this card provides 12 compact SFP ports, supporting 24 GE ports
* GPON-4x – Focused on GPON, this cards has four GPON ports, which in turn can support up to 256 subscribers with a 64:1 split

Building on the EXA Powered software kernel shared by the widely deployed E7-2 and the Calix C7, the E7-20 supports a wide variety of industry-standard protocols and features including:

* Ring support utilizing ITV G.8032 ERPS and IEEE 802.1w RSTP
* 10GE / NxGE / GE uplinks with RSTP and IEEE 802.3ad link aggregation
* Layer 2 switching / forwarding for simplicity, and Layer 3 awareness for scalability and security
* IEEE 802.1Q VLANS, 802.1ad VLAN stacking (Q-in-Q), and 802.1p priority
* Integrated IGMP v2 snooping and proxy for IPTV
* Full Calix Management System (CMS) support for visibility and management across the Calix Unified Access portfolio

“We fundamentally believe that the access network of the future will be dominated by bandwidth intensive, unicast video traffic, and that the ideal medium for carrying this traffic is fiber,” said Kevin Pope, senior vice president of product development at Calix. “A new generation of access platforms is necessary to address the realities of this future head-on, and that is the inspiration behind the development of the E7 Ethernet Service Access Platforms. We believe that the E7-20 is the first access platform developed and optimized purely for this new ’all-video’ and ’all-fiber’ world – a world dominated by GPON and Active Ethernet today, but which we believe will require even more advanced and higher capacity technologies tomorrow. Communications service providers who will survive in this new world will make access investment decisions today that will position them to reap the rewards from their networks for the next decade or more, and we believe that in the E7, we have provided these decision-makers with a clear answer.”

The E7-20 was introduced today at the 2010 Calix User Group Conference, and will be on display at TelcoTV 2010 from November 10-11 at Calix Booth 325 at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

About Calix

Calix is a leading provider in North America of broadband communications access systems and software for copper- and fiber- based network architectures that enable communications service providers to connect to their residential and business subscribers. Calix has shipped over seven million ports of its Unified Access Infrastructure portfolio to more than 600 North American and international customers, whose networks serve over 40 million subscriber lines in total.



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