BayanTel completes next generation network

Lopez-owned Bayan Telecommunications (BayanTel) has completed the nationwide multi-billion peso roll-out of its next generation network (NGN), allowing the company to deliver and offer seamless, high quality and cost-effective Internet Protocol (IP) services.

With new technologies flooding the industry at an alarming pace, local telecommunications companies are scrambling to adjust and move into the growth areas of the telecom industry namely wireless, broadband, and voice over Internet protocol (VoIP). But these areas cannot work solely on the traditional networks.

With the NGN, BayanTel is able to deliver more efficiently IP-based services such as IP-VPN, DSL broadband Internet, VoIP and nationwide Ethernet connectivity. The NGN complements the legacy or traditional copperwire network that used to be the only means of delivering voice and data to the subscribers.

BayanTel chief consultant Tunde Fafunwa said the completion of the company’s NGN highlights further the transformation of BayanTel as a competitive player in the new frontier of telecommunications – the Internet.

"We are now ready to deploy disruptive technologies that spell tremendous benefits and features to customers and resulting in improved network efficiency, reduced operating cost, and higher quality of service to customers," he added.

The roll-out included the deployment of IP-MPLS core routers and switches in the major data nodes of BayanTel strategically located in the key cities throughout the country. The roll-out also included the deployment of an IP soft switch designed to support around 30,000 VoIP lines.

The project started in late 2004 and was implemented in three phases. The first phase covered the major nodes in Metro Manila that includes Quezon City, Ortigas, and Makati. The connection rides on the existing 10-gigabit SDH backbone of BayanTel in Metro Manila.

The second phase involved the deployment of major MPLS nodes in Cebu and Davao and secondary MPLS nodes in Naga, Legaspi, Tacloban, Iloilo, Dumaguete, Butuan, General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, and Baguio.

The third phase includes the activation of an IP softswitch that allowed BayanTel to offer carrier-grade VoIP services anywhere throughout the country. The third phase also included the deployment of BayanTel ATM switches to the network edge.

While BayanTel has already completed the key backbone via NGN and MPLS, the next phase of expansion is to increase the capacity that can deliver up to 100 Mbps to the customer’s home. This will allow BayanTel to deliver higher speed bandwidth with the aim of deploying high quality multi-media applications and IPTV services.

With this new network, BayanTel is able to offer uniform rate for DSL and IP-VPN services anywhere throughout the country. This also allowed the telco to offer high-speed IP connectivity at cost effective rates domestically. This has benefited the entrepreneurs in the provinces who have significantly reduced communication cost via DSL and IP-VPN and helped the expansion of BPO services outside of Metro Manila particularly in Cebu, Davao, Dumaguete, and Ilo-ilo.

A more recent application of the NGN is the video streaming of the hit ABS-CBN show "Pinoy Big Brother" wherein Sky DSL users were able to see the show 24 hours a day via the video stream feed through the Internet.

The NGN also allowed BayanTel to start offering triple play (voice, video and data) services which is now being pilot-tested in Dumaguete.