Cox Communications will use Juniper Networks T-series core routing platform to upgrade its national backbone network, the two companies announced today.

Cox is the first MSO to announce Juniper as the core network routing supplier of a backbone upgrade. Juniper does business with all three of the top cable operators--Comcast, Time-Warner and Cox--and has been heavily courting their router business, said Andy Audet, vice president of the Cable Products Business at Juniper.

“We plan to make a much bigger move into cable market--Cox is another example of where we’ve had some success,” he said. “It’s a pretty big deal for us.”

Cox is upgrading its national core network to handle the additional traffic generated by growth in data services, by the transition of video to an IP backbone and by movement of its voice services onto IP as well. The company has previously used Juniper T-series and M-series routers in its metro core networks to handle IP video and data traffic.

“Since 2001, Juniper Networks has consistently delivered advanced capabilities, performance and the reliability Cox customers expect,” said Jay Rolls, vice president of telephone and data engineering for Cox Communications, in a prepared statement. “We are pleased to continue this relationship as we evolve our nationwide broadband network. Continuing to upgrade the national backbone enables us to effectively support demanding applications for our customers such as advanced video and voice over IP.”

Juniper is also expecting to see growth in sales to cable companies of edge routers, which are more prevalent in regionally based cable network, Audet said.

“We think there is a lot of growth in cable,” he said. “They will win their share of consumers with their pipe to the home. And they are moving to all-IP networks, which is a great fit for us.”