Aerial view of Port Houston.
Business

One of the World’s Largest Ports Sets Sail with Comcast Business

Houston, TX

Comcast Business announced that Port Houston, a flagship hub for international trade in the United States, is using Comcast’s fiber-based Ethernet for reliable network access to support its operations.

Using the Comcast network, Port Houston now has gigabit-level capacity to handle mission-critical tasks imperative to provide network connectivity to eight publicly owned and operated terminals.

Established more than a century ago, the greater Port of Houston is the largest port in the state of Texas. It is comprised of nearly 200 private and eight public terminals. Port Houston (i.e. the Port of Houston Authority, a local government agency) owns, operates or leases the public terminals. Its primary activities are handling imports and exports of containers, general and breakbulk cargo.

Port Houston handles the largest breakbulk tonnage and special projects cargo in the country and its two container terminals, Barbours Cut and Bayport combined are responsible for handling nearly 70 percent of all container cargo through the U.S. Gulf coast.

“On average, we run 5,000 to 7,000 trucks through two container terminals every weekday and to get them processed through the terminal as quickly as possible requires a high-speed network,” said Ron Farrow, Director, Information Technology – Infrastructure, Port Houston.

Initially, having its container terminals running on isolated operating systems for each terminal, Port Houston decided to revamp its network to connect all four of its locations, including an off-site data center, using a single Comcast fiber ring. To store data, optimize its workloads and execute missioncritical applications, Port Houston has deployed Ethernet Network Service (ENS) with 2 Gigabits per second (Gbps) performance at two sites that provide direct connectivity back to specific locations to share inventory, container location and other essential information pertinent to its core mission. Port Houston is also using Ethernet Dedicated Internet (EDI) to serve as one of its premium circuits for all Port Houston locations.

“Port Houston has been a preeminent leader in U.S. commerce and trade for more than a century and serves as a key mainstay in the region,” said John Phillips, Regional Vice President, Comcast Business. “To continue in this capacity for the next century, it’s paramount that Port Houston has the network infrastructure required to be more efficient and produce quicker than ever. Port Houston understands this and has been a long-term ally of Comcast Business. We’re here to serve them long into the future.”