The benefit of MPLS--which is what Qwest's iQ Networking service relies on--is that by sharing long-haul links with other traffic, costs drop compared with a dedicated Sonet circuit. Qwest also offers Ethernet over Sonet, which forms a private circuit with the network connection dedicated just to us--but that service comes at a much higher price. Its recommendation, and we agree, is for Tac-Doh to use VPLS To find out how prices for long-haul Ethernet services compare with SDH/Sonet, see our exclusive cost analysis by TeleGeography's Greg Bryan.
Our network options at that point are to treat the WAN as a switch, directing LAN-to-LAN traffic using VLANs, or to keep our routers at the LAN/WAN edge, but under our administrative control. However, migrating from a routed WAN--which is a typical arrangement--to a switched WAN will require significant changes to our underlying network topology, and significant engineering to flatten the network.
The lesson: While Tac-Doh can still reap Carrier Ethernet's lower cost-per-bit benefits, green-field WAN installations will benefit the most from Carrier Ethernet. Architecture decisions will definitely be easier.
One saving grace is that with Carrier Ethernet, Tac-Doh can migrate from routing to switching slowly, by provisioning one VLAN for routed traffic and adding VLANs for switched traffic. From Qwest's perspective, a VLAN frame is a VLAN frame, regardless of origin or destination.
Take The E Trains
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
