GTT Invests in 400G Upgrade of Global IP Network to Meet Demand for High-Performance and Secure Internet-Enabled Services
GTT Communications, Inc., a leading global cloud networking provider to multinational clients, has announced the company is investing in a 400G upgrade to its global Tier 1 IP network. The upgrade addresses the continued double-digit increase in IP traffic and will result in improved scalability and higher-capacity options for GTT’s suite of enhanced internet[1] and WAN services. The phased rollout will begin with global metropolitan city locations in the initial phase, eventually spanning GTT’s core IP switching and routing fabric connecting more than 260 cities on six continents. The initial phase of deployment is expected to complete in the second half of 2023.
The network augmentation to 400G will be implemented at multiple network layers that include the core IP backbone and metro extensions as well as customer service nodes where demand dictates. GTT is deploying state-of-the-art IP networking technology provided by Juniper Networks, which can scale up and down for optimized WAN performance and enhanced efficiency across the core IP backbone. The global IP network upgrade includes telemetry functionality that enables the network to scale higher and converge faster, providing better performance and greater flexibility to run cloud applications.
“The scalability and performance advantages of GTT’s global Tier 1 IP network is a cornerstone to what makes GTT stand out from the other managed network service providers,” commented Don MacNeil, GTT COO. “This comprehensive network upgrade to 400G demonstrates our commitment to providing customers with the most advanced internet networking platform so that they can realize maximum business benefits from managed SD-WAN as well as the full array of enhanced internet services that GTT offers, and it is among a number of key initiatives on our transformation roadmap that leverage the latest AI and digital technologies.”
GTT’s global Tier 1 IP backbone is ranked among the largest in the industry[2] and operates with more than 240Tbps of core capacity. Approximately 70 percent of GTT customer IP traffic remains on-net from edge to edge which provides enhanced control and security. The network is designed to route traffic on the shortest path possible, delivering low-latency performance and reliability. GTT was among the first large-scale Tier 1 internet service providers to implement RPKI, a route validation filtering technique for BGP sessions that ensures superior IP routing security.
[1] Gartner® defines enhanced internet as a collection of internet-based service offerings to improve the reliability and performance of internet-based traffic. Enhanced internet services include features such as telemetry-based routing, performance optimization, and secure and automated tunnel creation. Enhanced internet services may be sourced by enterprise customers or built into SaaS services, and are increasingly relevant due to growing cloud adoption. Gartner. Include Enhanced Internet as a Viable Option for the Global SD-WAN Backbone. 13 September 2021. ID G00751473
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[2] Source: Caida. May 2022
[3] TeleGeography. Global Internet Geography Report. August 2021
About GTT
GTT provides secure global connectivity, improving network performance and agility for your people, places, applications and clouds. We operate a global Tier 1 internet network and provide a comprehensive suite of cloud networking and managed solutions that utilize advanced software-defined networking and security technologies. We serve thousands of businesses with a portfolio that includes SD-WAN and other WAN services, internet, security and voice services. Our customers benefit from a customer-first service experience underpinned by our commitment to operational excellence. For more information on GTT, please visit www.gtt.net.
