Next Connex invest in Huawei’s OTN platform

Here at IQ Finance, we are proud of the help we provide to a wide range of businesses in the financing of their equipment.

One such business is Next Connex. One of the fastest growing national fibre optic carriers in the United Kingdom, they specialise in high bandwidth and Data Centre connectivity.

Having rapidly expanded over the past three years, in order to continue with their planned growth they needed to acquire new network equipment. Following a number of supplier meetings, they decided that their future ambitions would be best served with equipment supplied by Huawei. They firmly believed this was the best possible equipment available.

Huawei offers intelligent, high-capacity, converged optical/packet OTN platforms for 100G and upwards. Based on the T-bit switching chip, Huawei’s OTN platform delivers support for OTN/VC/PKT. It is easy to integrate and its modular design enables service access up to 100 GE and transmissions of 100G/200G/400G per lambda. It can also be expanded to 1T/2T.

Keen to get this equipment but not wanting to pass on the associated costs to their clients, Next Connex got in touch with the team at IQ Finance to discuss the possible options. The decision to enter into a scaled leasing programme with IQ Finance was made by CEO Mark Fitchew. This decision meant that they could purchase the Huawei Switched OTN equipment that would give their customers the best performing solutions without having to pay a premium.

The equipment would also future-proof their network and will still perform 10 years from now. Without the option to finance, they may well have been forced to opt for a cheaper but inferior solution that would need continual and costly updates.

Obtaining the equipment has meant that Next Connex have been able to complete the Southern leg of their data network (linking London to Cardiff) together with maintaining a presence along the fibre network in Bristol, Newbury, and Swindon. The next phase of their expansion will see them rolling out their infrastructure nationwide, initially completing the ‘Southern ring’ by connecting Birmingham and Leicester, with plans to expand further up to Manchester and Leeds. Once completed, their entire UK network will be capable of OTN switching, meaning high capacity wavelengths can be manipulated around the network, to deal with the capacity demands of the future.

Having the correct equipment means that Next Connex will be able to continue to offer their wholesale clients sophisticated and competitively-priced connectivity solutions at industry leading prices.

Acquiring the best performing, most efficient and most up-to-date technology is something that most CIOs aspire to. Sales and performance can be dramatically impacted by such technology. There is often one major obstacle – the initial purchase price. This is where we add value. We can help you get the best equipment without the initial outlay. We do this through our flexible finance options. If this sounds of interest, you can get an instant quote straight to your inbox by using our iQuote system at https://www.iqfinance.co.uk/iquote/. Alternatively, you can give us a call on 0800 412 5562 to discuss your options.