India's Largest Telecom Operator Selects Juniper Networks for First Nationwide MPLS VPN Network; To Deliver Managed Corporate Network Services Across India

Business Wire, Dec 3, 2002

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 3, 2002

Juniper Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq:JNPR) today announced that Baharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), India's largest telecom operator, has selected Juniper Networks M-series routers for India's first nationwide IP/MPLS network. Running on an optical backbone, the network will deliver new revenue-generating services to their corporate customers across India, including those in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai.

Juniper Networks M20 and M40e routers were selected for their reliability, scalability and the ability to offer multiple IP services to deliver a greater return on investment as the network evolves. In addition, existing ATM and Frame Relay services will be consolidated over this IP/MPLS network to reduce operational costs, while protecting existing investments.

BSNL's selection of the M-series routers for its IP/MPLS-based network is an endorsement of the Model for Integrated Network Transformation (MINT). The MINT provides a four-layer framework that optimizes a provider's cost structures, improving the returns on existing services, while enabling significant new revenues to be derived from mass and niche business and consumer markets.

Key to the approach advocated by MINT is the separation of network facilities from the creation of services. Under the MINT framework, providers establish a service independent resource pool capable of supporting a rich range of large and small-scale services. A key enabler of the MINT framework is the MPLS capabilities delivered across Juniper Networks M- and T-series and ERX platforms. This enables providers to establish communities of users that can be managed as aggregated groups. High performance Packet Processing delivers advanced service definition and differentiation, while the Policy and Control layer enables dynamic user customization of services and provides the interface into business systems for billing and authentication.

By implementing this model BSNL enjoys an optimized network over which it can deliver a rich set of IP services with better user control, including managed VPNs, managed firewall and IPsec-based VPN services.

All Juniper Networks M- and T-series routers leverage Juniper Networks JUNOS software, which is purpose-built for service provider networks that require a full suite of industrial-strength routing protocols, flexible policy control and leading MPLS implementation that can scale simply and efficiently to large numbers of network interfaces and routes.

"We are excited to be selected by BSNL to play a key role in helping India's largest telecom operator build a nationwide IP/MPLS network. BSNL's decision reinforces Juniper Networks leadership in meeting the most stringent requirements of service providers and carriers worldwide," said Adam Judd, vice president, Asia Pacific, Juniper Networks.

About BSNL

BSNL is the largest Public Sector Undertaking in India. Its responsibilities include the improvement of the already impeccable quality of telecom services, expansion of the telecommunications network, introduction of new telecom services in all villages and instilling confidence among its customers. As India's largest telecom operator BSNL's telephone infrastructure alone is worth about Rs 1,00,000 crore (US $21.2 billion) and it has a turnover of Rs 22, 000 crore (US $ 4.6 billion). Today with a 42.5 million line capacity, 99.9% of its exchanges digital, a nationwide Network Management & Surveillance System (NMSS) to control telecom traffic and an OFC network of almost 350,000 km, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. is a name to reckon with in the world of connectivity. For additional details, please visit www.bsnl.co.in/.> About Juniper Networks, Inc.

Juniper Networks leads the industry in turning network innovation into the reliable delivery of core, edge, mobile and cable Internet services at scale for the New Public Network. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., Juniper Networks offers additional information on its product and service offerings at www.juniper.net.

Note to Editors: Juniper Networks is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries as a trademark of Juniper Networks, Inc. Broadband Cable Processor, ERX, ESP, G1, G10, G-series, Internet Processor, JUNOS, JUNOScript, M5, M10, M20, M40, M40e, M160, M-series, NMC-RX, SDX, ServiceGuard, T320, T640, T-series, UMC, and Unison are trademarks of Juniper Networks, Inc. All other trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, or registered service marks are the property of their respective owners.