Consultation outcomes: Data Centre Access product
In October we consulted with you on our proposal to introduce a new Data Centre Access product.
The proposed product had the following high-level specifications:
- Point-to-Point ethernet delivered as glass-only, like Business Premium or Mobile Access
- High Traffic Class only, with 1 Gbps, 2Gbps, 4Gbps and 10Gbps options
- Unlimited MAC addresses, VLAN transparency, 9100 Bytes MTU and L2CP support.
To ensure efficient use of fibre and be able to provide the desired price points, we proposed that Data Centre Access is delivered through a Chorus access node that is located onsite in the data centre. This means that the new Data Centre Access product will only be available inside of data centres where Chorus has installed an access node, as well as most Chorus Central Offices and inside of Chorus EdgeCentre environments.
Below is a simplified diagram that illustrates how the proposed Data Centre Access product may be delivered:
We are appreciative of the submissions we received as part of this consultation process. Having taken the time to carefully consider all feedback, we are pleased to share our findings below.
Consultation feedback and outcome
Question | What you said | Our response |
Does our proposed Data Centre Access product help solve an existing or future need? | Most respondents expressed strong support for this product if priced competitively.
| We are satisfied that there are valid industry use cases for this product and have taken your feedback on board. |
Which 3rd party data centres would you like to see Data Centre Access be available in? |
| We have developed a phased roll-out plan based on your feedback.
Phase one will be limited in scope to test demand and adjust the product where necessary.
If successful, Phase two and Phase three will see us expand to a total of 27 data centres, with future expansions possible based on demand. |
What would prevent you from consuming our proposed Data Centre Access product? | Price is seen as the main potential barrier for adoption, especially in relation to dark fibre.
The cost of tail extensions is also seen as a concern. | We have taken your feedback on board and believe that we have arrived at a competitive pricing structure for the new product.
We are interested in receiving your feedback on the proposed plans and pricing. |
Any other feedback? | Some respondents highlighted the need for a cheaper out of band management plan.
| We have added a 1Gpbs symmetrical Low Traffic Class plan specifically for Out of Band management and use-cases where enterprise-grade connectivity is not required. |
Any other feedback? | We received feedback that our existing provisioning processes are painful and lengthy when applied to data centres, and they could be improved. | We recognise that our existing provisioning processes are not well suited for the data centre environment.
Our PON mass-market products were simply not designed to connect to data centre racks, and this is evident in their topology. Introducing provisioning process complexity will ultimately not be able to get around these inherent issues.
Therefore, our focus is on developing data centre-specific products that are purpose-built to meet these needs. |
Based on your feedback, we are developing this product. The high-level product specifications and price points we plan to introduce are outlined below:
Variant: | DC Access OOB | DC Access 1000 | DC Access 2000 | DC Access 4000 | DC Access 10000 |
Price: | $70 | $300 | $400 | $500 | $700 |
High Traffic Class: | 0 | 1000 Mbps | 2000 Mbps | 4000 Mbps | 10000 Mbps |
Low Traffic Class: | 1000 Mbps | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Technology: | Point-to-Point Ethernet | Point-to-Point Ethernet | Point-to-Point Ethernet | Point-to-Point Ethernet | Point-to-Point Ethernet |
Customer Termination: | Glass-only | Glass-only | Glass-only | Glass-only | Glass-only |
Transparent VLAN: | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
MTU Size: | 2000 | 9100 | 9100 | 9100 | 9100 |
MAC Limit: | 32 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
L2CP: | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Note: The price points listed above are indicative and may change. We will provide final price confirmation as part of the official notice of launch.
Next Steps
The development of DC Access is now underway. We will endeavour to publish a comprehensive service description as the technical details are finalised. Please note that “DC Access” is a working name and will change prior to launch.
We are aiming to launch DC Access in Q4 FY2025. We will provide notice of launch once we have a date locked in, inclusive of the data centres where the product will be initially available.
Contact
Please get in touch with your Customer Engagement team should you have any feedback or questions, or if you wish to express your interest in testing this product with us once we have a working prototype.
We will keep you informed of progress and any changes should they emerge.