Cisco Systems (CSCO) says that China Telecom (CHA) will adopt the Cisco CRS-1 Carrier Routing System to integrate the supercore network nodes of ChinaNet, the largest Internet Protocol service network in China.

With this seventh upgrade of its backbone network, China Telecom is continuing its transformation from a network carrier into an integrated information service provider, the company's growth goal through technological advancement and service creation.

Traffic processed by the Cisco CRS-1 will then transit the previous multi-router structure of ChinaNet's core network nodes in eight cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Xi'an, Chengdu, Wuhan and Nanjin. After integration, ChinaNet will significantly enhance the network capacity and improve management efficiency, enabling China Telecom to strengthen broadband business as well as laying foundation for the development of next-generation Internet applications.

ChinaNet currently has more than 21 million broadband subscribers, with a total capacity of 4,000 gigabits per second (Gbps), accounting for more than half of China's bandwidth for Internet services. In order to satisfy the needs of the rapidly escalating number of broadband subscribers and advanced multimedia applications, ChinaNet has required a continuous upgrade of its backbone bandwidth. The latest enhancement will anticipate this future demand with higher network availability and scalability.

Cisco CRS-1 is a new class of routing system designed to deliver continuous system operation, service flexibility and extended system longevity to telecommunications service providers and research organizations. This innovative routing system enables customers to scale network capacity up to 92 terabits per second (Tbps) and deliver next-generation data, voice and video services over a converged IP network while protecting their investments in the system.

Cisco Systems China Vice President Hanh Tu said, "Adhering to its goal of becoming a modern integrated information service provider, China Telecom has taken remarkable initiatives to deliver innovative new services. We are honored to bring our industry leading technology to the customers of China Telecom and contribute our experience of serving global service providers to the development of China's telecom industry."

The Cisco CRS-1 was awarded the prestigious InfoVision Award by the International Engineering Consortium (IEC) at the Broadband World Forum Europe, held 3-6 October 2005 in Madrid, Spain. The InfoVision Award program recognizes corporations and individuals for pioneering developments in technologies, applications, products, advances, and services judged to be the most unique and beneficial in the telecommunications industry.