EUNetworks aims to cut metropolitan network costs

By combining long-haul and last-mile connections under one SLA, EUNetworks aims to cut MAN costs

EUNetworks will today introduce a new private network service for large corporates that combines both long-haul and short-haul metropolitan area network (MAN) connectivity to reduce costs.

The company aims to provide banking, government and financial services firms with bespoke, secure private networks and hosted IP services connecting European offices.

EUNetworks said it offers a single service-level agreement (SLA), rather than multiple agreements covering different carriers for the long-haul and last-mile sections of the link, and it provides the ability to monitor and control end-to-end bandwidth from one office to another. It aims to complete its fibre rollout connecting points of presence in the City of London and the Isle of Dogs by the middle of next year.

“A company connecting from Docklands to Frankfurt using a Gigabit Ethernet link would probably be using three to four different vendors and SLAs,” said EUNetworks’ chief operating officer Barry Nolan. “If we did that as one end-to-end solution, it would be half the cost but with more capacity headroom and better security.”

Dana Cooperson of analyst Ovum said there is scope for EUNetworks to undercut its rivals because it bought its network assets very cheaply. “We should see prices tumble on the routes and cities it covers,” she added.

However, if rivals respond by lowering prices, EUNetworks’ customers using their own dark fibre equipment can easily switch providers.