About Exemplar

Overview of the Exemplar Network Technology

The Exemplar Network will be the world’s first example of a next generation network based on a truly dynamic optical infrastructure. It is based on a new technology called Optical Packet Switch and Transport (OPST) which enables the infrastructure to respond to unpredictable traffic patterns. This results in the ability to “virtualise” the infrastructure, which essentially means that many different types of services can be operated simultaneously on the same network. OPST can guarantee the performance level of a multi-service network with respect to bandwidths, delay and jitter of packet flows across the system.

In addition to OPST, there is one further world first in the Exemplar Network related to its control and management. The Exemplar Network will have the world’s first web-programmable interface directly into the network switch.

From Exemplar to Commercial Roll-Out

The Exemplar Network will consist of an OPST distributed switch which is simultaneously a fibre optic ring network. Many partners in the Exemplar program will connect Access Network and Core Network devices based on Ethernet and IP protocols into the OPST distributed switch. Standard ICT and Data Centre equipment will also be connected into the network.

Summary of Exemplar World Firsts

The Exemplar Network will achieve several significant world-leading benchmarks in the telecommunications industry:

1. Demonstration of the World’s First truly distributed switch
2. The World’s first deployment of a network using Optical Burst Switching
3. The World’s first directly web-programmable networking infrastructure
4. The World’s first truly “any-service” network
5. The World’s first example of truly Distributed Data Centres working seamlessly with networking infrastructure

Sample of Services that Exemplar could simultaneously support

• Point-to-point Ethernet connections
• Multipoint-to-multipoint Ethernet switched services
• Business WANs and LANs
• Standard Triple Play services: voice, broadcast tv and internet
• Video on Demand (VoD)
• 4^th Generation Mobile Backhaul for LTE and WiMAX
• Distribution of Mobile TV/Video Content
• Content Distribution Networks
• ICT services merging the network and datacentres together in a distributed architecture
• Cloud computing with guaranteed latencies and bandwidths
• Synchronous transmission services such as SDH/SONET

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Commercial Value and Benefits of Exemplar Technology

The technology breakthrough at the heart of Exemplar represents a step-change in the cost-performance ratio of telecommunications networks. The value and benfit of this step-change can be summarised as follows:

Cost Step-Change Enabled in Exemplar:

• A major simplification of the network architecture will significantly impact the Operational Costs (OPEX) of the network including:
• Reduction in Energy Consumption
• Reduction in installation, maintenance and upgrade costs
• Reduction in support costs
• By distributing the switch across the network, the technology enables the following benefits in CAPEX and cash flow management:
• Linear growth of layer 2 network costs with service revenue
• Lower CAPEX requirements to manage unpredictable change in network usage
• Higher utilisation of Capital Assets including fibre utilisation and switch utilisation
• Virtualisation of the network enables the sharing of costs including:
• Multiple operators sharing the same physical infrastructure
• Many service types using the same switching equipment

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Performance Step-Change Enabled in Exemplar:

• Collapsing layers 1 and 2 under a single control enables both layers to be operated simultaneously and this enables:
• The ability to guarantee service performance
• The ability to use previously stranded bandwidth
• The ability to virtualise and share bandwidth in a controlled manner
• By making the network programmable, it enables new revenue streams to be created:
• ICT applications can call for network services on-demand in order to deliver Cloud Computing services for example
• Social Network and Entertainment services can guaranteed video quality on-demand
• End-users can create their own tv-quality networking capabilities for business or personal use
• Multiple virtual operators can use the same physical infrastructure to generate new service models
• Billing systems can be deployed with new pay-as-you-go models for network services

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