INTERNET FIRM UUNET NOW ON FIBRE

Coastweek, September 11, 2009 -- Internet firm, UUNET Kenya has completed the internal migration from satellite powered data solutions to the Seacom under-sea fibre optic cable, and has doubled bandwidth capacity for all its customers from the beginning of this Month.

The firm's Managing Director Tom Omariba said the internal migration involved installation and performance testing of equipment that will be used to manage data distribution from the fibre.

UUNET Kenya has bought its fibre capacity from the Seacom under-sea cable.

The will also get additional bandwidth capacity from TEAMS and EASSy cable, in which its parent company, MTN Business owns a 30 per cent stake.

"We have given our customers double capacity at the current price.

"However, we in future review our pricing once TEAMS and EASSy come on board," said Omariba.

Customer migration onto the Seacom under-sea cable fibre capacity was was completed last week on Friday 4th September as earlier communicated by the company to its customers about its going live from September.

Seacom and TEAMS have already landed at Mombasa while the country still expects the LION and EASSy fibre optic Sea cables next year.

UUNET Kenya has over 600 top-tier corporate customers who will immediately benefit from the cost savings of moving from satellite to fibre.

The company has been operating on an Internet Protocol (IP)/Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) network across Kenya providing business solutions.

The company recently installed ultra-modern core and multi-service edge routers to boost its network and meet demand for fibre capacity.

The equipment, from Juniper Network, is part of the Sh680 million the company has used to upgrade its equipment full advantage of the undersea cables.

"I am confident that Juniper will advance the evolution of UUNET Kenya's network with a routing portfolio that combines best-in-class IP/MPLS stability, security and service richness." said Anthony Laing, Head of Service Provider Networking from XON Systems during a courtesy visit to the UUNET's Parkside offices in Nairobi .


The company commissioned XON Systems Professional Services, a Juniper Service Provider Elite Partner from South Africa , to assist UUNET Kenya with the design, implementation and migration to this new network.