peavõrgu

Peavõrk, sometimes written peavõrgu in Estonian, refers to the core or backbone network that carries high-capacity, high-speed traffic between major telecommunications nodes, content providers, and large enterprises. It is distinguished from access networks, which provide last‑mile connectivity to end users, and from metropolitan area networks, which serve regional traffic. The peavõrk performs the essential function of routing, switching, and managing large volumes of data across national or international boundaries with minimal latency and maximal reliability.

Typical components of a peavõrk include high‑capacity fiber‑optic links, large‑scale routers and switches, redundant links, and advanced traffic management protocols such as BGP and MPLS. Service providers often deploy multiple redundant paths between points of presence to ensure resilience against failure. The design prioritizes not only speed but also fault tolerance, granular traffic engineering, and security features such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems.

In the Estonian telecommunications landscape, major operators maintain a peavõrk that interconnects their regional networks with each other and with international gateways. This backbone supports the high‑speed internet access that Estonia offers to both business and residential customers, supporting services like high‑definition video streaming, cloud computing, and real‑time data analytics. The peavõrk also serves as the foundation for governmental digital services, enabling secure communication across ministries and public institutions.

Regulatory bodies oversee peavõrgues to ensure fair access, non‑discriminatory peering agreements, and compliance with national and European data protection laws. As network demands grow, Estonia continues to invest in its peavõrk by expanding capacity, deploying newer optical technologies such as dense wavelength‑division multiplexing, and integrating 5G core infrastructure to support emerging mobile communication standards.