DZS unveils hardened edge broadband solutions designed to bridge digital divide
DZS, a global provider of access, optical and cloud-controlled software-defined solutions, has introduced DZS FiberWay designed to bridge the digital divide. Architected to meet the challenges of middle mile and last mile fibre networks both at present and in future, DZS FiberWay empowers service providers leveraging broadband stimulus programs to invest in solutions across the access, optical, subscriber and cloud edge that position them for sustainable success long after the awarded funds are spent.
“As communications service providers continue to chip away at the digital divide, they face the pressing need for effective solutions that not only meet the gigabit broadband requirements of today, but the multi-gigabit needs of the future while addressing the business challenges in serving, managing and supporting the needs of these communities over the long-term,” says Miguel Alonso, chief product officer at DZS. “This is not a problem solved by point products for access and transport with software, but rather requires an approach across all of these domains to meet the unique operational and business needs of unserved and underserved broadband markets where conditions are challenging, resources are scarce, yet demand for the latest connected home and business services and a world-class experience is high.”
“DZS is the first to step up to this need, disrupting the market with environmentally hardened access, long-reach yet high-capacity transport, and cloud edge solutions optimised to address the real-world challenges service providers are facing today and addressing their need to scale, upgrade in-place to 50G PON, and cost-effectively deliver the new services of tomorrow. Not only is DZS FiberWay architected for and ideally suited to support the historic government initiatives like the current Capital Projects Funds, Middle Mile Grant and Broadband Equity and Access Deployment (BEAD) programmes, but it ensures that those who stand-up to address the challenge of bridging the digital divide have a path to sustained success long after these programs are over.”
Architected to enable service providers to get to market fast in areas where business cases for investment had not historically existed, DZS FiberWay brings together optimised network elements tailored for the middle mile, last mile, and in-home networks to provide end-to-end solutions for broadband-challenged communities. Key innovations across the access edge, optical edge, subscriber edge and cloud edge provided by these solutions include:
- Environmentally hardened access and transport solutions: Unserved and underserved areas will have minimal existing infrastructure and be in remote areas, presenting a deployment challenge for service providers. Investing in air-conditioned cabinets or equipment huts can be expensive and pose ongoing maintenance and energy challenges. Hardened DZS FiberWay Access and Transport solutions minimise these expenses and challenges, often deployable rapidly in existing cabinets without upgrades to heat-exchangers or in small cabinets with minimal enhancements.
- High performance and scalable solutions: Gigabit services have emerged as the starting point for new deployments today, but multi-gigabit services are already emerging in the market and new applications like VR/AR/XR, 8K video and remote collaboration are on the horizon. Edge Access solutions will likely start with 10G XGS-PON technology today, but require an upgrade to 50G PON (passive optical network), ideally without service interruption, in the future. Edge Transport solutions that aggregate these services will be required to scale commensurate with these data rates and new applications and transport them over long distances. DZS FiberWay Access solutions are non-blocking and multi-terabit capacity, allowing for in-place upgrades to next-generation PON technologies (like 50G PON) and DZS FiberWay Transport solutions leverage groundbreaking hardened coherent optics technologies and modular flexibility in a compact form factor to rapidly scale and reach across long distances.
- Remote service assurance and experience management solutions: All broadband stimulus programs have service assurance requirements, administered in the form of periodic reporting. For service providers who need to make a positive business case beyond the short-term duration of these programs, the biggest challenge is ensuring low churn and new service revenues for into the future. Proven DZS Cloud Edge software solutions, which currently support more than 70 million homes globally, provide tools to not only meet the reporting requirements for current stimulus programs, but also offers AI-driven network service assurance and WiFi home experience management as well as orchestration, automation, and service life-cycle management solutions that lower necessary truck rolls, increase customers satisfaction, and allow for rapid creation of new services remotely.
“Service providers face massive challenges, both operationally and economically, when it comes to delivering high-speed digital services to rural and remote locations and to date this has been a major reason that the digital divide persists,” says Geff Smith, SVP technology and communication, Irby Broadband. “DZS FiberWay looks to be a first-of-its-kind solution that delivers an all-in-one environmentally hardened and cost-effective combination of systems and software that is well-suited for remote areas both now and in the future and we are excited for the promise it offers. After having enabled hundreds of thousands of broadband lines at electric utilities across the county, I can tell you that it pays to think long-term about your partners and solutions, and DZS has historically given us the innovative tools to put our clients on the path to sustained success that they need.”
DZS FiberWay consists of a mix of hardware and software solutions, including:
- The DZS Velocity Multi-Terabit OLT (optical line terminal) systems that deliver non-blocking performance and high density, including XGS-PON (10 gigabit symmetrical PON) combo solutions today and the capacity to upgrade in-place to 50G PON and 100G PON in the future
- The DZS Saber 4400 Optical EDGE Transport platform bringing from 100G to 400G of middle mile transport capacity per wavelength up to 1.6 Terabits per second per stackable platform to support transport capacity requirements as well as offer hardened CDC (colourless-directionless-contentionless) FlexGrid Open ROADM (reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer) support to snap into existing transport ring topologies
- The DZS M4000 router enabling Layer 1-3 service delivery and traffic management for anchor institutions, businesses and cell towers
- DZS expresse advanced cloud software for PON service and network assurance, with a roadmap for optimization for rural service providers
- DZS CloudCheck for in-home Wi-Fi management and remote service assurance, with a roadmap for optimization for rural service providers
- DZS xtreme cloud software for multi-vendor orchestration and automation, with a roadmap for optimisation for rural service providers
Cost-effective and future-ready, DZS FiberWay is available in three base configurations and customizable to needs of specific deployment scenarios while providing a clear path to long-term fiber success.
- DZS FiberWay1 – Consists of a fixed form factor Velocity V1 capable of supporting over 2,000 subscribers, complemented by the Saber 4400, M4000 and DZS Cloud software
- DZS FiberWay 2 – Consists of a 2-slot, 2RU chassis capable of supporting over 4,000 subscribers, complemented by the Saber 4400, M4000 and DZS Cloud software
- DZS FiberWay 6 – Consists of a 6-slot, 6RU chassis capable of supporting up to 25,000 subscribers, complemented by the Saber 4400, M4000 and DZS Cloud software
Each solution can be complemented by a DZS cabinet optimally sized and configured for maximum efficiency or deployed in an existing cabinet. A variety of DZS Helix ONTs, CloudCheck certified WiFi gateways and access points are also available that can cater to the operational preferences of each customer. Additionally, other complementary and environmentally hardened products, such as easy-to-install 1RU co-existence elements (CeX) from Lambda Networks, in circumstances where service providers may desire maximum flexibility in transitioning between PON technologies in the field.
Service providers leveraging BEAD funds can also rest assured that Texas-based DZS is Build America, Buy America (BABA) ready, with a long history of U.S.-based manufacturing and strong relationships with contract manufacturers with U.S.-based manufacturing operations. Furthermore, DZS professional services and partners can work closely with service providers to facilitate and manage planning, installation and deployment.
Service providers bridging the digital divide must think and partner strategically to make the most of their broadband stimulus opportunities. DZS FiberWay is the only end-to-end solution across the middle and last mile architected to address this challenge head-on and put service providers in a position to not only meet and exceed stimulus program requirements but enable them to achieve long-term sustainable success in these targeted markets.
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