Engineering: Packetsurge (AS 22147) | TOWARDEX

PACKETSURGE

Evolved Extensible Transport System

AS22147

A Programmable Network for the middle mile

Deployed since 2015, Packetsurge℠ is TOWARDEX's new infrastructure initiative to scale interconnection and transport operations at the middle mile.

Built on top of our statewide optical network, Packetsurge℠ operates independently from our IP network. Leveraging Cisco's Evolved Programmable Network (EPN) architecture, Packetsurge℠ delivers elastic networking and secure interconnections at cloud scale.

A brief history.. Before Packetsurge

Since the inception of TOWARDEX's regional carrier business, many of our facilities based connectivity products used to be delivered from the same network that is also providing IP service (AS 27552), using MPLS/IP over dedicated fibers.

By the end of 2014, it became apparent that our existing IP network was not scaling to meet the growing bandwidth requirements for our clientele and future business objectives.

a new network

On January 2015, an upgrade project named Evolved Extensible Transport Program (EETP) was embarked to supersede the aging infrastructure and scale our growing bandwidth needs for the next five years. The program was further divided into two major categories, as follows:

EETP/1C upgrades our optical transport infrastructure (DWDM & ROADMs) to provide 100 Gig capability across company owned fiber assets; and

EETP/2A constructs the lit segment for a new converged access network called Packetsurge℠.

Employing the Cisco EPN architecture, Packetsurge is deployed in every on-net facility and customer-facing location using lit waves over dark fiber. Packetsurge performs preaggregation functions and backhauls customer interfaces to centralized IP network head-end hubs.

Packetsurge℠ is carrier & data center neutral. In addition to backhauling customer interfaces to head-end hubs for TOWARDEX's own AS27552 IP network, it also provides backhauls to other carriers and cloud providers connected to its network (e.g. Amazon, Comcast, CoreSite, Digital Realty Global Network Neutral Ecosystem).

The Massachusetts Internet Exchange (MASS IX) is an Open-IX certified distributed peering point spanning over 6 data centers across the Boston market, open to any BGP speaking network to participate. The MASS IX infrastructure is hosted on parts of the Packetsurge network, running as a VPLS instance to operate the ISP Peering VLAN.

Packetsurge℠ reaches every on-net facility and customer-facing location on our entire optical footprint, functioning as a state-of-the-art Carrier Ethernet Converged Access Network.

The network provides L2-based access between carriers and subscribers using MPLS architecture, with planned support for Segment Routing in the near future.

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Network Rates & Pricing

Operated Services

Packetsurge℠ provides the following services on its network:

Converged Network Access

Packetsurge provides backhaul of IP, cloud, voice and video across its entire network footprint, providing a converged network access to service providers and subscribers.

Although Packetsurge was originally built to haul customer ports onto central hubs for TOWARDEX's IP network, it is operated as a network neutral middle mile. Backhaul services are provided to any participating carrier or cloud provider‐ ENNI interfaces are established at a common facility and Packetsurge would haul subscriber EVCs onto the point of interconnection.

Mobile Backhaul

With access to multiple Mobile Switching Centers (MSCs), Packetsurge operates reliable transport of mission-critical traffic for wireless/cellular carriers, typically for Small Cell/DAS deployments in the metro Boston area.

Wireless backhaul services are contracted and offered through TOWARDEX's network transport services. In addition to aggregation and transport services, TOWARDEX also offers customized wireless backhaul solution specifically tailored to each carrier's needs.

Transport and Data Center Interconnect

Many of TOWARDEX's lit transport products are operated on the Packetsurge network. Services include E-Line, E-LAN and E-Tree using MEF constructs.

Packetsurge provides three levels of Class of Service (CoS) options. Bandwidth utilization in excess of traffic contract are policed and discarded. It is the customer's responsibility to configure traffic shaping to conform to assigned traffic contract and prevent policed discards. However, for customers who are unable to shape traffic, Traffic Normalization Service can be ordered to have Packetsurge provide traffic shaping on customer's behalf.

Commercial IP Service

Not related to TOWARDEX's AS27552 IP products, Packetsurge offers its own IP service (using AS22147) for customers needing a simple solution for out-of-band management, remote software loads/network management and regional routing optimizations.

Commercial IP service is offered in rates from 10 Mbps to 2.5 Gbps. The service is designed for medium-to-low bandwidth requirements and is limited to maximum speed of 2.5 Gbps. Additionally, burstable ports are not offered‐ all Commercial IP ports are bandwidth-limited to their assigned traffic contract. Customers looking for wholesale, burstable service or high capacity ports should utilize TOWARDEX's AS27552 IP service, or IP transit from other participating carriers.

MASS IX

The Massachusetts Internet Exchange (MASS IX) is operated on parts of the Packetsurge network. ISP Peering VLAN is hosted as a VPLS on participating PE routers; Metro Cross-Connects are provided using EVC/L2VPN configurations.

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