Companies and operators that need 400G or 800G capacity across Bulgaria can now get it from Neterra. The global connectivity provider has completed the first phase of the upgrade of its national DWDM optical network. All services in the western part of the country now run on new Infinera GX Series equipment (part of Nokia).
In parallel, Neterra is replacing the switches in its backbone with 400 Gbps models. The upgrade covers the entire network and mainly affects the company’s internet services and its NetIX internet exchange platform.
Four Times Larger Channels and Plenty of Room to Grow
The old network was running at full capacity and could not support channels (lambdas) larger than 200 Gbps. The new equipment supports channels of 800 Gbps and more, depending on distance.
It also uses the optical spectrum far more efficiently. A single large channel today takes up less spectrum than the old 100 and 200 Gbps channels did. As a result, once all existing traffic has been migrated, the network will still have a large reserve, and Neterra has already received orders for new services on it.
The new architecture is built on ROADMs. The team activates services end to end through software, without technicians having to visit every node along the route to switch cables. New channels go live faster and at lower cost, and if a problem occurs, traffic is rerouted within minutes. The network is easier to manage and can be monitored in much greater detail.
“Our old network was full, and our customers are now asking for larger capacities, in the range of 400 and 800 Gbps. Now we can deliver them, and we have plenty of room to grow. Existing services work exactly as before. The difference will be felt by those who need more capacity or a new service, because we’ll be able to respond much faster,” said Pavel Marchev, Operations Technical Director at Neterra.
A Stronger Foundation for Neterra Omnia
The fiber connectivity of Neterra Omnia runs over the same backbone. The service is designed for any business that cannot afford a connectivity outage, whether it is in the city center or outside it. It combines two, three or more technologies, depending on the location and the customer’s needs: fiber, 5G mobile, Starlink satellite internet, radio relay links and more.
Traffic runs over one path, and if that path fails, it switches instantly to another without the customer noticing. The greater backbone capacity, the new 400G switches and fast traffic rerouting make the fiber path in this combination even more reliable.
What’s Next
The first phase of the project covers the western part of the network, which carries most of the traffic. This includes the Sofia - Ruse and Sofia - Plovdiv - Stara Zagora - Sliven - Kapitan Andreevo routes, as well as all of Neterra’s international links to Romania, Serbia, Greece and Turkey.
The second phase will cover the eastern part of the country, including Varna and Burgas. Traffic there is lower because the network has no cross-border links in that region.