AT&T Conducts 400G Field Trial

AT&T completed the first of a multi-phase trial testing 400 gigabit Ethernet data speeds. This first phase used optical gear from Coriant to carry a true 400GbE service across a long-distance span of AT&T global backbone from New York to Washington, demonstrating that AT&T’s nationwide software-centric network is 400G-ready.

A second phase of the trial will carry a 400GbE on a single 400G wavelength across AT&T’s OpenROADM metro network. This phase is expected to use optical gear from Ciena.

 A third phase is expected to test the first instance of a 400GbE open router platform. The “disaggregated router” platform uses merchant silicon and open source software – and this is expected to be another industry first.

“Our approach to roll out the next generation of Ethernet speeds is working. We continue to see enormous data growth on our network, fueled by video. And this will help with that growth,” said Rick Hubbard, senior vice president, AT&T Network Product Management.

In a post deadline paper at OFC, researchers at AT&T Labs described the trial, which encompassed an end-to-end 400G Ethernet circuit, inclusive of 400GbE client cards with a CPF8 interface and dual-carrier 16QAM line-side. The trial demonstrated the feasibility of SDN-enabled creation, deletion, and re-routing of the 400G service.

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