wiredInUSA October 2017

Network in place

Amtrak chose VT Group to undertake the project. Aaron Reale, RCDD and director of operations at VT Group, explained: “This GPON solution is truly cutting edge. We use cable containing a single strand of single-mode fiber capable of providing hundreds of users’ unlimited bandwidth. People often think that fiber optic cabling is fragile, but it has a tensile strength almost three times that of traditional Category 6 copper cable, and it’s a fraction of the size and cost.”

In converting the National Guard building into its new 82,000ft 2 headquarters in Washington DC, Amtrak was determined to create a state-of-the-art facility. Its goal was to create one of the most modern and sophisticated telecommunications systems available to meet its present and future telecommunications requirements. Among the highest priorities was a converged network capable of providing high bandwidth and wireless connectivity for the up to 500 users housed across four floors of office space. A fiber optic network was the obvious choice to achieve its requirements, so Amtrak and its consulting engineers selected passive optical LAN due to its affordability, reliability, long life and reduced power consumption. Passive optical fiber networks (also known as GPON) are widely recognized as a solution for data bottlenecks and to leverage a cabling infrastructure with unlimited bandwidth potential. They are also easier to configure and have a smaller footprint. GPONare capable of protecting high-security communications through advanced data encryption, and offer cost savings over traditional networks, areeasily expandable, and have fewer energy and cooling/ventilation requirements.

The new headquarters for Amtrak in Washington DC. Photograph courtesy of CiJUSA.com

Richard Thompson, director of network engineering at Amtrak, said: “GPON is transforming the Amtrak IT ecosystem into a highly resilient and scalable network, aligned with future technology objectives.”

wiredInUSA - October 2017

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