NSN Tests 100G Short-haul from EU's HECTO Project

Nokia Siemens Networks has begun field testing a 100 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) transceiver developed by the EU-funded HECTO (high-speed electro-optical components for integrated transmitter and receiver in optical communications) project.


The HECTO project focused on developing a method to cut the number of transceivers for 100G network links of less than 40 kilometers by 75%. With HECTO, operators can provide short-haul 100GbE using only one transceiver on a single wavelength, rather than four transceivers at four separate wavelengths. This alone can reduce the complexity of 100GbE transmission providing a cost-effective way to upgrade optical networks.


"100GbE is the next big step in the networking world, bringing the additional capacity that will be needed for new bandwidth-hungry applications and the widespread adoption of smart devices," says Rainer H. Derksen, senior research scientist at Nokia Siemens Networks. "The HECTO approach is ideal for short-haul transmission because it does not require the complex transceivers needed for longer distance network links. At the same time, it meets the increased capacity demands in the metro and access portions of the network. This landmark project fits well with our vision of using innovation to help operators upgrade to 100GbE without major network investments."


In the HECTO project, NSN partnered with component vendors, academic institutions and non-profit research institutes from Denmark, Germany, Greece and Sweden.
http://www.nsn.com
http://www.hecto.eu