BellSouth MIX Touts Optical Approach

July 5, 2001 -- Owned and operated by BellSouth, BellSouth MIX is touted as the most technoloigcally advanced network access point yet, with architecture designed to dramatically reduce network traffic jams common to exisiting NAPs.
Partners in the BellSouth MIX include UUNET, IWC, Qwest and Broadwing/ICI. The group adopted a distributed, multi-site architecture it says will provide "unparalleled survivability," allowing the NAP to remain operational with only one of the four facilities in operation. The nodes, which function as a wide-area network, are located at four sites:

• 36 Northeast 2nd Street in Miami, a carrier hotel
• Lightspeed Miami Center in west Miami
• ImpSat Fiber Networks USA Colocation Teleport Facility 2040 North Dixie Highway in Wilton Manors
• Emergia Cable Landing Station in Boca Raton

The multi-site approach and BellSouth's emphasis on optical switching differentiate BellSouth MIX from the NAP of the Americas, according to company officials.
"We believe that the unique design of the BellSouth MIX will prove to be more practical and scalable than the more traditional design of the proposed NAP of the Americas," said Ralph de la Vega, BellSouth's president of Broadband and Internet Services. "A single building, located in a Category 1 storm evacuation zone one block from Biscayne Bay does not, we believe, accommodate the needs for severe weather survivability in the South Florida area as well as the distributed architecture of the BellSouth MIX."
Backers of BellSouth MIX also say the multi-site approach offers advantages for potential customers in South Florida.
"We're taking the BellSouth MIX to our customers by giving businesses the option to establish Internet connectivity at any of four node locations,'' said de la Vega. "This design makes it easier, more convenient and cost effective for them while at the same time spreading the economic impact of technology development throughout a three-county, metropolitan Miami area.
"We believe our approach will further the `Internet Coast' vision that we've all shared for South Florida, establishing a reliable and secure foundation for Internet growth and development today and well into the future,'' de la Vega added.
BellSouth also touts its use of the latest optical switching technology in its IP-based architecture, on which it has worked closely with Cisco Systems and Sycamore Networks. BellSouth MIX says the use of intelligent switching equipment from Sycamore allow it to supply customers with "point and click" provisioning of additional bandwidth.

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