What is 21CN?
21CN is BT’s world leading, software driven customer network that introduces a new, simpler portfolio of next generation services.
Fundamentally 21CN is about customer choice. Based on open systems, standards, APIs and an open philosophy, 21CN is a platform for innovation that truly puts flexibility and choice in the hands of our customers - both in the UK and across the world.
Why is BT developing 21CN?
21CN is the foundation for BT’s transformation into a global, software-driven communications business enabling BT to deliver communications services that meet all of its customers' requirements in the coming decades. End-users increasingly expect to use communications wherever they are and want communications to come to them via whatever device or system they have to hand.
In essence, 21CN has three key objectives:
And BT is seeking to achieve these all at the same time. 21CN is an immense task, and it demonstrates BT's determination to be forward looking, both for the sake of its wholesale and retail customers and its own financial and technological needs.
Who will benefit from 21CN?
BT's creating a world-leading network that releases the full potential of communications to improve the quality of people's lives - through better access to information, through economic growth and through simply being able to stay in touch.
So what exciting new converged services can end-user customers have today?
Convergence is the future for communications and 21CN is designed to make it simple and easy. Today’s services based on the convergence of voice, mobility, video, data and content include, for example, BT Vision - our next generation television service which puts the viewer in control by combining the appeal of TV with the interactivity of broadband; BT Fusion is the mobile phone service which switches to a broadband landline when the user arrives home or, for business users, at the office and Broadband Anywhere enables you to read e-mails, check the football score or compare prices when shopping, waiting for a train or having a coffee.
What new 21CN services can end users expect?
To ensure that new 21CN services become available as quickly as possible, to as many people as possible, BT is prioritising of the delivery of new services on the new infrastructure. Already BT Wholesale is running its Ethernet and next generation broadband services on 21CN - and overtime the availability and functionality of these wholesale services will increase.
With better network capacity to manage the growth in new media content, 21CN will enable CPs to offer hi-definition video services on demand to millions of UK homes in 2008. In 2009, an integrated voice and broadband wholesale service will be introduced and 21CN will provide hi-definition voice services in UK homes.
Where end users are connected to enabled exchanges, CPs will be able to choose to supply end users with products and services based on these wholesale services. However, communications providers may take time to implement new 21CN-based services for end users.
Can you tell me more about Wholesale Ethernet?
Wholesale Ethernet is designed to meet the future demand of large enterprise and SMEs customers for cost effective networking service to complement or replace traditional data enterprise services. This MPLS-based service supports converged applications, including VoIP and offers scalable bandwidth and flexible service level guarantees.
BT Wholesale’s next generation national Ethernet service was the first 21CN product. It provides flexible bandwidth between two Ethernet ports in point-to-point and point-to-multipoint configurations. UK availability will increase to around 600 nodes in Spring 2009 and over time circuit bandwidth options will range from 1Mbit/s to 1Gbit/s, with access speeds available between 10Mbit/s and 10Gbit/s. Wholesale Ethernet enables communications providers to offer their customers a truly flexible service, avoiding the costs associated with network over extension.
What’s next generation broadband?
In April 2008, BT Wholesale introduced Wholesale Broadband Connect (WBC) - its next generation broadband service, running over 21CN.
This marked the start of a new era for broadband in the UK. WBC is designed to let end users enjoy a range of high speed services and offers a much richer broadband experience than ever before. Tiered quality of service, guaranteed service level agreements, the ability to trade speed for more line stability…allows communications providers to tailor services for their end user customers, opening the door to much more end user control, choice and flexibility. Improved line diagnostics and sophisticated line management are set to improve the customer experience too.
The initial portfolio consists of a component-based service available for CPs with their own networks and a managed wholesale product designed for CPs preferring a seamless end-to-end service.
WBC is being made available in a phased way with UK availability rising to a potential footprint of around 10 million homes and businesses by Spring 2009. Over time WBC will meet the growth of voice over IP; video telephony; IPTV and video on demand services and is compatible with FTTC/P. However CPs are going to take time to implement WBC-based services for end users as WBC is a completely new broadband service, not an upgrade of what’s available today.
Will everybody in the UK get a 24Mbit/s broadband service?
BT Wholesale has introduced its next generation broadband service – called Wholesale Broadband Connect – into the market place and its functionality and availability will increase overtime. Where end users' are connected to a 21CN broadband-enabled exchange, communication providers can choose to supply end users with products based on these next generation broadband services.
The ADSL2+ equipment deployed in exchanges supports a theoretical maximum speed of 24Mbit/s and end customer lines will deliver the highest possible stable speeds they can support. However, distance from the exchange, internal wiring, interference from electrical appliances and other factors will continue to affect an end user’s broadband speed.
But there is more to next generation broadband that speed. It opens the door to greater control, choice, flexibility and differentiation. WBC can prioritise different types of data running along the end user’s line and its specially designed software changes the dynamics of each line so the service is more reliable and runs at optimum levels.
Is the 21CN vision just about a change in BT's technology?
No, 21CN is the foundation for BT’s transformation into a global, software-driven communications business. It’s about improving the customer experience and offering customers exciting new services, faster than ever before. 21CN is about producing network efficiencies and growing cash cost savings. It is about delivering a new model for telecoms based on open standards and is set to make interworking easier at the network access, applications and intelligence layers.
How will products and services get to market faster?
21CN is more than just a network upgrade, it is a change management programme driven to meet ever-changing customer needs. Today's customer is increasingly sophisticated - they want advanced services and products, but they need them to be simple, seamless and integrated.
A new open Innovation Platform will enable BT, other CPs and thousands of third party developers around the world to create software applications based on BT’s 21CN capabilities is expected to be launched in summer 2008. Already BT’s Software Developers Kit (SDK) is being used by thousands of independent applications developers worldwide with hundreds of new applications already in production.
Also BT has devised a set of product-independent capabilities in the form of network, systems and service components, which have features common to many products. The 'Common Capabilities' are a set of re-usable components that will be used to build products and services. Re-using proven components in this way can save time, reduce costs and increase consistency for customers, as well as meaning that new services can be brought to customers faster than before. In the 21CN environment many of these capabilities will be network-based, providing customers with greater flexibility and resilience.
What are BT’s 21CN achievements to date?
A great deal of progress has already been achieved.
BT’s global 21CN platform is now available in 170 countries worldwide; more than 55 per cent of the UK’s 21CN infrastructure has been re-built and over 600 BT systems have been decommissioned.
Next generation broadband is available to a potential end user base of one million with coverage progressively growing towards 10 million by Spring 2009. BT Wholesale has started taking orders for Wholesale Ethernet too which will be available across the widest and most competitive footprint in the UK by April 2009.
BT’s Software Developers Kit (SDK) is being used by thousands of independent applications developers worldwide - as well as across BT - with hundreds of new applications already in production.
Thousands of kilometres of optical fibre have been installed and millions of individual tests have been successfully carried out in laboratories and in the field.
Who is supplying the equipment to build 21CN?
On 28 April 2005, BT announced its preferred suppliers to provide equipment for the build and roll out of 21CN. The announcement was the culmination of two years of discussions and negotiations with over 300 potential technology suppliers from all corners of the world. The extremely competitive process was one of the largest single procurement programmes ever undertaken in the communications industry.
The eight strategic suppliers chosen to work with BT are Alcatel, Ciena, Cisco, Ericsson, Fujitsu, Huawei, Lucent and Siemens. In November 2006 Alcatel and Lucent Technologies confirmed their merger.
On January 15, 2007 BT signed frame contract agreements with both Nortel and Siemens for the supply of carrier class Ethernet technology for implementation in BT’s 21CN infrastructure.