White Rock Networks, a leading provider of next-generation optical transport systems for metro networks, announced today that Iowa Network Services (INS) has deployed its optical networking products for the delivery of voice, data and IPTV services to over 500,000 end users statewide.

INS, which provides a range of network-based solutions to 148 Independent Telephone Companies servicing 330 different communities throughout the state, has deployed White Rock’s VLX2020 Optical Transport System and VLX2006 Multi-service Access Platform to deliver the triple-play over its 2,500 route miles of fiber cable, 50 remote POP sites, and 38 SONET rings.

White Rock’s optical networking products provide a cost-effective upgrade path for the distribution of triple-play services where existing transports have become capacity constrained or do not support the distribution of Ethernet-based services. Both the VLX2020 and VLX2006 support an Ethernet shared ring topology, allowing carriers to efficiently deliver broadcast video traffic with a single copy of each channel. Bandwidth reuse on the SONET ring coupled with the ability to support up to 2 Gbps of Ethernet traffic per OC-48 ring provides ample headroom for growth of Video on Demand (VOD) and other unicast video services.

"INS deployed White Rock's next-generation transport system to provide Ethernet over SONET and allow us to provide broadcast and Video on Demand, Internet services and other IP services to a majority of the independent companies in Iowa that are rapidly moving to Ethernet as their connection of choice," said Bob Sherlock, Vice President of Engineering for INS. "White Rock’s VLX2006 has been a major factor in INS being able to deliver these services cost effectively."

In addition, INS selected White Rock’s system for its small size, which would fit in their remote POP sites, and its VLXpert management system, “which has been extremely useful for our engineering and operations people,” said Sherlock.

"As the delivery of IPTV services begins to drive the majority of some service providers' bandwidth, they are discovering that their existing transport platforms cannot efficiently support the backhaul of Ethernet traffic," said Paul Forzisi, White Rock's Vice President of Marketing. "White Rock's VLX2006 is an economical and highly effective solution to provide scalable transport for triple-play services by delivering carrier-class transport for voice, data and IPTV services using TDM and Ethernet circuits over shared fiber optic facilities."