A router that operates at a blisteringly fast 322 terabits per second represents the lynchpin of internet giant Cisco’s strategy to set in motion the next-generation internet experience.
Designed to serve as the foundation of the next-generation internet and set the pace for the astonishing growth of video transmission, mobile devices and new online services through this decade and beyond, the new Cisco CRS-3 Carrier Routing System has been designed to handle more than 12 times the traffic capacity of competing systems.
The Silicon Valley company says the Cisco CRS-3 is designed to transform the broadband communication and entertainment industry by accelerating the delivery of compelling new experiences for consumers, new revenue opportunities for service providers, and new ways to collaborate in the workplace.
How the Cisco CRS-3 works
The Cisco CRS-3 triples the capacity of its predecessor, the Cisco CRS-1 Carrier Routing System, with up to 322 terabits per second, which enables the entire printed collection of the Library of Congress to be downloaded in just over one second; every man, woman and child in China to make a video call, simultaneously; and every motion picture ever created to be streamed in less than four minutes.
The Cisco CRS-3 enables unified service delivery of internet and cloud services with service intelligence spanning service provider Internet Protocol Next-Generation Networks (IP NGNs) and data center.
The Cisco CRS-3 also provides unprecedented savings with investment protection for the nearly 5,000 Cisco CRS-1 deployed worldwide.
Cisco's cumulative investment in the Cisco CRS family is US$1.6 billion.
AT&T recently tested the new router in the successful completion of the world’s first field trial of 100Gbps backbone network technology.
"We are entering the next stage of global communication and entertainment services and applications, which requires a new set of advanced internet networking technologies,” said Keith Cambron, president and CEO, AT&T Labs.
“AT&T's network handled 40pc more traffic in 2009 than it did in the previous year, and we continue to see this growth in 2010.
“Having leading-edge experience in managing the largest global data network, we are pleased to continue our close working relationship with Cisco and its groundbreaking Cisco CRS-3 platform.”
Pankaj Patel, senior vice-president and general manager, Service Provider Business, Cisco, added the next-generation internet is already upon us and said the router will play a crucial role in the new array of video, mobile, data centre and cloud services coming our way.
“The Cisco CRS-3 is well positioned to carry on the tradition of the Cisco CRS-1, become the flagship router of the future and serves as the foundation for the world's most intelligent and advanced broadband networks."
By John Kennedy
Photo: The Cisco CRS-3 Carrier Routing System
