NetBIT, the enterprise services unit of Mexican ISP ENI Networks, announced that it has collaborated with Ciena and Braxem to launch a new offering that leverages passive optical network (PON) access technology to drive digital transformation for Mexican enterprises.
The solution – implemented by Ciena and its local authorized distributor Braxem – uses an advanced network architecture with active distribution nodes that integrate the new technology into an IP/MPLS transport network.
According to Ciena, this configuration enables automatic redundancy between the fibre-optic connection and wireless links, achieving switching times below 50 milliseconds and network availability of up to 99.99%, which enables the network to support critical enterprise apps like cloud-based ERP systems, real-time applications, HD videoconferencing, and AI solutions.
The new infrastructure includes Ciena’s 5164 and 3924 routers, including Ciena XGS-PON pluggable and ONUs, as well as PON access tech from the 3800 family.
Ciena said this particular implementation makes ENI the first Mexican operator to use a topology based on distribution nodes in strategic areas to enable incorporation of additional enterprise-oriented services. Ciena noted it has successfully deployed the same topology model for operators in Canada and the US.
Carlos Hernández, senior director of account management at Ciena, said its optical access technology allows NetBIT to scale cost-efficiently with demand, which significantly reduces space and energy consumption compared to traditional chassis-based approaches.
“The convergence of IP/optical and PON in our architecture provides innovative operators like NetBIT the ability to simplify their infrastructure, optimize costs, and simultaneously deliver resilience and reliability,” he said in a joint statement.
Phase 1 in Querétaro and San Luis Potosí
The new NetBIT offering – which will begin operations this month initially in Querétaro and San Luis Potosí in central Mexico – targets medium-sized businesses with 25 to 50 employees across key sectors such as manufacturing, fintech, educational services and technology companies in Mexico.
ENI Networks CEO Benjamín Martínez Zazueta said the project enables it to offer infrastructure services for medium-sized Mexican businesses that previously were only available to large multinationals.
“Our approach goes beyond traditional internet – we provide comprehensive solutions that combine fibre-optic connectivity, high-capacity microwave links, managed cybersecurity, Wi-Fi network management, and real-time monitoring, all under a ‘single point of contact for all technology needs’ model,” he said. “The level of customization we offer, using modular components that scale with each customer’s growth, sets us completely apart from rigid market offerings.”
Zazueta added that the launch in Querétaro and San Luis Potosí is the first phase of a regional strategy that includes integrating multiple fibre-optic networks acquired by ENI. The company plans additional expansions to extend coverage to cities in northern Mexico – such as Navojoa, Ciudad Obregón, and Hermosillo – and in the southeast along the Cancún–Tulum corridor, where 100 Gbps infrastructure is already under implementation.
