Better, stronger, more resilient: national network refresh complete!

The REANNZ backbone network has been strengthened and enhanced following the completion of a four-year programme of work. 

On Saturday 20 September, the last of 80 managed edge devices at member sites was replaced, completing a multi-year, multi-stage programme that began in December 2021.

Chief executive Amber McEwen says the work is a demonstration of how REANNZ continues to meet its members’ evolving needs while delivering measurable improvements in performance, efficiency, sustainability and cost.  

“The network refresh brings significant benefits including higher port density and speed like 25G and 100Gbps, lower cost per port and a 40% reduction in power consumption thanks to the deployment of more energy-efficient platforms and a consolidation of the footprint. 

“The procurement benefits also enabled REANNZ to reduce its membership fees in 2024, giving value back to the sector in times of high inflation and stretched budgets.

“Our thanks to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) for their support in enabling this upgrade to be delivered.” 

The upgrades will see the network well supported for another five-to-seven years.  

“With the refreshed network in place, now is the perfect time to come and talk to us about any upgrades to your existing connections or about our managed edge offering for new or existing connections,” says Amber.

The programme began in December 2021 and focused on three key areas: replacing the core optical infrastructure, refreshing the core routing platform, and upgrading managed edge hardware.  

In March 2023, the underlying core optical infrastructure was switched to OneNZ. This delivered connectivity between REANNZ’s points of presence with a focus on increased resilience, flexibility and ability to scale, particularly in the regions.  

Phase two, core hardware, commenced in mid-2022 with procurement, a proof of concept, and extensive testing before the final roll out began July 2024 with a refresh of the core network.

Working with 2Degrees and Juniper, the ageing Juniper MX series routers were replaced with newer generation Juniper MX and ACX routers, selected for their performance, energy efficiency and scalability.  

Over the past 14 months the team has deployed 72 new routers and installed 51 new servers in the core network. More than 2000 lines of custom code were written and 2,078 services migrated. Finally, the Managed Edge offering was upgraded with the replacement of around 80 devices at member sites across New Zealand.

The new routing platform has two different hardware platforms combining the best features of more advanced routing capability that existed before, and new technologies which allow easier network expansion. The upgrade has also meant the extension of the core network’s self-healing functionality to our DC Connect service.    

Additional capability to monitor power utilisation is also in place to support carbon emissions reporting. 

The Managed Edge offering was also refreshed with modernised and future-proofed devices offering better port density and form factors for member edge deployments.

For more information email engagement@reannz.co.nz