Comcast, Cisco, Nortel work on network

Comcast said Monday it will work with Cisco and Nortel to form an open transport initiative.

The cable group said that the initiative will improve the interoperability between optical and Internet protocol network layers and compatibility among multiple vendors' equipment within Comcast's network.

Wireless carrier Nortel and information-technology group Cisco will be the first vendors of the initiative, Comcast said.

The initiative "plans to first identify and define a set of common interfaces, which will be used to integrate and manage Nortel DWDM (dense wavelength division multiplexing) and Cisco (Internet protocol) equipment. Such open interfaces will help improve the vendors' ability to interoperate seamlessly within the same transport infrastructure, making it simpler to combine optical and IP technologies on the same network," Comcast said.

Copyright 2005 by United Press International