Customer Success Story

Integrating optical and IP technology future-proofs Swedish network

Swedish operator SUNET builds a converged optical-IP network that delivers new levels of automation, uptime, and scale while slashing operating costs.

SUNET connects about a half a million students, researchers, and administrators across 30 schools and 100 research institutions. In addition to high-speed network connectivity, SUNET offers cloud storage, digital collaboration tools, and Web conferencing services.

Overview

Company SuNet
Industry Service Provider
Products used MX2020,  MX2010,  MX960,  MX480
Region EMEA
SuNet Image
"We already have customers requesting multiple 100GbE links, and we need an evolutionary path to deliver them terabit links. With Juniper’s converged technology, we know we can scale to support them, and do it in a cost-effective way."
Per Nihlén Chief Technology Officer, SUNET

Business Challenge

With vendor contracts coming due and existing equipment needing an overhaul, SUNET sought a new approach to building and operating its high-performance academic network. It wanted a more automated network that was highly resilient to downtime and could scale into the future.

Technology Solution

SUNET built an integrated IP-optical network using Juniper MX Series routers, which scale beyond 80 Tbps and support ultra-high-density 10GbE, 40GbE, and 100GbE interfaces. The SUNET core uses Juniper Modular Port Concentrators with dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) coherent optical interfaces, the first deployment of its type in the world.

Business Results

The converged IP-optical SUNET is 10 times faster, though operational costs have dropped 20 percent. Simplifying the network with convergence has improved network availability because there are fewer components to fail. The router inherently understands fiber connections, so it can reroute traffic before a fiber has even broken.

"Now we have a network that’s at least ten times faster than we used to have, has lower risk of outages, has greater resiliency, and actually has lower costs than it had before, all down to the integrated optics."
Börje Josefsson Chief Operating Officer, SUNET

The Products

Several different MX series universal routing platforms from front view.
PRODUCT FAMILY

MX Series Universal Routing Platforms

With a robust portfolio of SDN-enabled routers, the MX Series provides industry-leading system capacity, density, security, and performance with unparalleled longevity.