Telstra MPLS Network

 Telstra’s Private Networks - Next IP® - offer a range of dynamic, intelligent, and integrated solutions that help you to thrive in a more connected digital future.

Next IP® delivers the benefits of having your own private IP network without the expense of owning and maintaining the network infrastructure.

Delivered using MPLS technology, Next IP® provides secure and reliable connectivity on one of Australia’s largest fully integrated MPLS IP platforms with over 2,000 points of presence (POPs) in over 230 countries worldwide.

• Prioritise data traffic. Easily segment traffic streams and prioritise the traffic that is most important to your business with six Classes of Service (CoS). 

• Resilient, robust network. All network traffic automatically travels via the shortest available route and is quickly re-routed in the event of a fault to maximise your service uptime.\

• Add on UC. With Telstra IPVPN you can be ready to introduce Voice over IP or Collaboration Services at any point in the future.

Telstra Business IP is a fast and scalable MPLS-based IP VPN network.

Built on the Telstra Next IP® network, Business IP includes a last mile access service and national wide area coverage.

Telstra Business IP is suitable for medium to large businesses and enterprises that need data connectivity. Business IP has the ability to scale up to meet current and future Virtual Private Network needs.

Business IP offers optimum security for data through the adoption of security design best practice and independently audited ISO27001 accreditation.

Business IP is a fully managed solution with MobileCorp.

Connect IP is for small to medium businesses with 2 or more sites. It is designed to securely carry voice, data and video between branch and head office sites with traffic prioritisation available to optimise performance.

Connect IP is a tail into Telstra's network. It can be delivered on:

• Connect IP Ethernet – Standard ethernet last mile, either copper or fibre.
• Connect IP Ethernet Lite – Delivered on Telstra BDSL (symmetric)
• Connect IP Mobile – delivered over a Telstra APN on the mobile network

Pros 

MPLS is a protocol-agnostic routing technique designed to:

• speed up and shape traffic flows across enterprise wide area and service provider networks

• be a private network meaning that cardholder data transmitted over an MPLS network does not have to be encrypted

• support time-sensitive applications that require guaranteed delivery

• allow for inter-connectivity growth of the network with minimal addition of hardware

• be extremely scalable

• improve up-time by providing alternative network paths

• improve bandwidth utilisation
  by allowing for multiple traffic types to traverse the network

• reduce network congestion by utilising optional paths for traffic to avoid congestion

• improve end-user experience by allowing multiple Classes of Service to different types of traffic such as VOIP

Cons

Obviously, with companies shifting more of their applications to cloud hyperscalers, there are some perceived disadvantages to MPLS. These could include:

• can require WAN optimisation which can be expensive
• not connected to the public cloud which can increase the cost of cloud access
• difficult to deploy as programming is needed at the hardware layer and each node must be programmed individually which can be a lengthy process
• expensive
• difficult and slow to scale

For organisations who have migrated to the cloud the most sensible strategy going forward might be to offload as much MPLS traffic as possible to the cloud, but continue to use MPLS for time-sensitive applications that require guaranteed delivery.