Telstra's Next IP tale of two cities

Michael Rocca, group managing director Telstra Networks & Services, said the upgrade will use Ericsson optical transmission technology to accommodate growing transmission demand on the inter-capital route.

"Upon completion in March 2010, we expect these will be providing four times the capacity available today," he said.

Demand on telecommunication networks is generally focussed on capital cities as a result of greater population and the concentration of international voice and data links in those areas.

The upgrade will increase the capacity of Telstra's existing Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) transmission technology from 10 to 40 Gigabits per second and will use underlying optical fibre infrastructure without requiring major changes to the network.

Tony Malligeorgos,VP, marketing and business development, EricssonAustralia, said existing inter-city fibre cables are extremely expensive to build.

The telco has also planned for a national broadband network linking Catholic schools across the country.

Around 1550 Catholic schools and Catholic Education Offices Australia-wide will be connected to Telstra's network infrastructure to provide a range of services as the network is installed over the next two years.

David Thodey, executive director at Telstra and the chair of the newly established Catholic Network Australia Limited Ltd (CNA), Francis Moore, announced the plan at St Monica's Primary School, Footscray, Melbourne.

The $146 million project will increase the reach and capacity of broadband connectivity to Catholic schools and provide a diverse range of services for teachers and students.

The network, which is predominantly fibre-based, will connect five data centres across Australia and use Telstra Internet Direct, which provides carrier-grade connectivity.

Management of the network will be handled through a range of virtual private networks and gateway exchanges, enabling Catholic Education Offices to share and exchange resources across Australia.

Catholic Network Australia Ltd, a subsidiary company of Catholic Resources Ltd, will manage CNA.