Articles

MOREnet Increases Network Capacity

MOREnet already supplies its customers with fast, reliable Internet and statewide network access, and these services are about to become even better. Suppose a highway changed from two to eight lanes. How much more traffic could that highway carry? MOREnet's backbone and Internet circuit upgrades will do exactly that: quadruple the number of available lanes on the MOREnet backbone and, at the same time, increase available capacity of its circuits to the Internet without increasing customer cost.

Backbone upgrade

MOREnet has contracted with LightCore to replace the six OC-3 circuits (155 Mbps each) over which MOREnet customers' backbone traffic travels with six OC-12 circuits (622 Mbps each). This change will quadruple the speed at which data, audio and video can travel over the MOREnet backbone.

The cumulative capacity of all legs of the backbone in 1995 (before the Jefferson City hub was added) was 3 Mbps. In 2004, it will be 3732 Mbps.

Internet upgrade

MOREnet connects to the Internet through hubs in Kansas City and St. Louis. Using redundant connections like these means that even if Internet access is disrupted at one hub, access will still be available through the other. Each hub currently connects to the Internet through three OC-3 circuits provided by three vendors: AT&T, Qwest and Southwestern Bell. Following the upgrade, each hub will have Internet access through two OC-12 circuits, provided by Qwest and Sprint.

The result will be a net gain in bandwidth available for accessing the Internet. Initially, MOREnet will only use 360 Mbps from each of the four Internet OC-12 circuits. As customers' need increases, more bandwidth can be added, up to the full 622 Mbps capacity of each of the OC-12 circuits.

Cost

The 2004 upgrades represent MOREnet's latest efforts to provide its customers faster service at no additional cost. MOREnet has been steadily improving its customers' network access as available technology has developed. In addition to increasing capacity, MOREnet has been able to deliver value by providing this service at decreasing cost per Mbps.

Completion scheduled for March

MOREnet expects the upgrade to the backbone to be completed by the end of February, with the Internet upgrade to follow a few weeks later. MOREnet will thoroughly test all new circuits before moving customers from the OC-3 circuits to the OC-12 circuits. After testing, customers will be notified and all services will be moved over to the new circuits.

Upgrade should meet customer needs for three years

Even high bandwidth circuits can become saturated with the growing sizes of data, audio and video files and the ever increasing number of people who use the Internet on a regular basis, but MOREnet is planning ahead to keep its network robust and ready to meet its customers' needs. The current upgrades should meet the need for bandwidth for at least three years.

Customers can follow the progress of the upgrade by clicking on the Upgrade 2004 option on the scrolling news on MOREnet's home page. To receive e-mail notification of all network outages, maintenance and upgrades, customers should subscribe to MOREnet's Accunounce service and select the Network Outages and Maintenance category.

MOREnet is proud to continue providing its customers with excellent network services.