Illwerke-VKW AG, a leading power utility and telecom service provider in the Vorarlberg region of Austria, has chosen Nokia to implement optical transport solution. This partnership aims to modernize Illwerke-VKW’s optical network infrastructure, enabling the company to support 400G wavelengths and enhance its service offerings to business customers.
Illwerke-VKW will be investing 340 million euros in broadband business to will connect a third of Vorarlberg households. Last summer, Illwerke-VKW had earmarked around seven billion euros as the investment volume for the next 15 years.
Illwerke-VKW, which provides energy to 200,000 customers and telecom services to mobile network operators (MNOs), is investing in advanced Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) technology. This will be powered by Nokia’s Photonic Service Engine (PSE) technology, designed to increase network scale and optimize performance.
The deployment will see the new optical network, spanning 15 sites across Vorarlberg, deliver 10G, 25G, and 100G mobile backhaul and fronthaul transport services. These services will connect MNO cell sites and central offices, while also offering robust optical transport solutions to other business customers in the region.
Key to the modernization is Nokia’s 1830 Photonic Service Switch (PSS), which will enable illwerke vkw to manage wavelengths at the photonic layer. The network will also feature Optical Channel Protection, ensuring high service resiliency, and will support all fronthaul protocols, making it future-ready for multi-generation radio networks (3G/4G/5G).
The upgraded network will include high-performance synchronization distribution, meeting stringent ITU-T G.8273.2 Class B and C timing requirements for backhaul and fronthaul services. This will be facilitated through Nokia’s 1830 PSS and 1830 Time-sensitive Packet Switch (TPS).
Additionally, the new optical network will utilize Nokia’s WaveSuite Network Operations Center (WS-NOC), providing comprehensive end-to-end optical management. This includes service provisioning and assurance functions, ensuring seamless and reliable service delivery.
Christoph Mark, Head of IT at Illwerke-VKW, said: “We are excited to work with Nokia to evolve our existing network infrastructure. The new optical network will enable us to meet the growing capacity demands and provide high-quality telecom services to mobile service providers and business customers in Vorarlberg.”
Matthieu Bourguignon, Head of Europe for Network Infrastructure Business at Nokia, said: “Nokia will provide a resilient and superior optical transport network capable of supporting 400G wavelengths and beyond.”
