Namibian power utility NamPower has deployed Ribbon’s IP Optical portfolio for its “The GridOnline” project.
The project provides a comprehensive backbone for operators across the country to leverage high-capacity bandwidth reliably, both domestically and internationally.
Helgo Müller, NamPower’s Head of Telecom and Control, said: “When it comes to communications infrastructure, NamPower, and therefore Namibia as a country, plays an important role for the entire southern African region, having direct backbone reach across the nation, to submarine optic cables and to neighbouring land-locked countries.”
“As such, the responsibilities of and expectations put towards NamPower are of a critical and compelling nature. Having worked with Ribbon for almost a decade, we were confident in their ability to deliver the technical solutions and, more importantly, provide the associated service and assistance requirements…The Ribbon and NamPower teams were able to deploy the network, including its auxiliary facets, amidst and despite tight pandemic-related restrictions.”
NamPower required a solution offering extensive programmable IP optical capabilities to leverage its utility network for bandwidth delivery. Fully implemented in 2021, the network combines Ribbon’s 400G ZR+ and 200G coherent Apollo Optical Transport solutions with Neptune IP over DWDM. The Muse interactive network planning tool enables NamPower to carry out offline network planning and simulations to optimise use of resources.
Lior Tourgeman, Ribbon’s VP Sales, Africa, said: “The network we have nurtured over the past decade has now evolved into a multi-terabit network equipped with rich capabilities of DWDM, IP, OTN and intuitive management. This significant step toward network modernisation is helping to usher NamPower into the era of IP Optical networking and establish it as a key player for bandwidth delivery services.”
