Global Crossing Accelerates VoIP Migration

Global Crossing announced that it is continuing its migration to voice over IP (VoIP) switches on its multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) network with the de-commissioning of legacy time-division multiplexing (TDM) switches in four cities. The move was made in response to increasing levels of VoIP traffic, which accounted for almost half of the firm's total voice traffic by the end of 2004.

Following the replacement of a TDM switch with a Sonus VoIP switch in Chicago last year, Global Crossing subsequently retired switches in San Francisco, moving the traffic through VoIP switches in Sacramento. The company plans to decommission more switches in Los Angeles, Boston and Newark by mid-year.

Global Crossing began its migration project last year in response to an ever-growing level of VoIP traffic. By the end of 2004, the company was carrying 2.3 billion minutes of VoIP traffic per month, representing almost half of all its voice traffic in the last quarter. With the decommissioning of the Chicago TDM switch last year, Global Crossing became one of the first carriers to migrate to a VoIP switch at the network core. It claims that its VoIP network is fully interoperable with its existing TDM backbone, allowing carriers and enterprises to migrate to a converged all-IP network environment gradually.

"The TDM to VOIP traffic migration program is directly aligned with our over-arching goals of collapsing all services onto our IP backbone, simplifying our voice network architecture, improving network reliability and asset utilization, as well as reclaiming POP space and power," Global Crossing's executive vice president, operations Dan Enright said in a statement. "With a more efficient network, we are better able to deliver converged IP services while seamlessly integrating both TDM and IP customers in a VoIP environment, without the need for a customer to invest in expensive new network infrastructure and equipment."