In a trial conducted with Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable Joint Stock Limited Company (YOFC) and ZTE, China Telecom Research Institute achieved a maximum real-time single-wavelength rate of 1.2Tbit/s, resulting in a single optical fibre single-direction transmission rate exceeding 120Tbit/s.
The test used S+C+L bands over standard single-mode quartz optical fibre.
The verification test has set new benchmarks in system bandwidth, algorithms, and architecture:
- Enhanced bandwidth: The traditional C-band spectrum expands to include the S and L bands, achieving a substantial communication bandwidth of 17THz across the S+C+L multiband, spanning the range of 1,483nm-1,627nm.
- Higher performing algorithms: China Telecom Research Institute leverages the optical fiber loss and power transfer characteristics of the S/C/L bands, implementing a technique that maximizes spectrum efficiency through adaptive matching of symbol rate, channel spacing, and modulation code type. Additionally, with ZTE's advanced multi-band system filler wave and automatic power balancing technology, the service performance across all channels is balanced, vastly expanding the maximum transmission distance.
- Reimagined architectural design: this real-time transmission methodology incorporates the industry's leading CPO (Co-Packaged Optics) technology, boasting a single-wave signal baud rate exceeding 130GBd and a bit rate of 1.2Tbit/s, significantly reducing the number of required photoelectric components.
The experiment employed the ultra-low attenuation, large effective area optical fibre developed by YOFC. This fibre boasts a lower attenuation coefficient and an expanded effective area, facilitating the expansion of the system's bandwidth to include the S-band. This advancement enables the achievement of a maximum real-time single-wavelength rate of 1.2Tbit/s.
