Coherent shows 200G per lane for transceivers, CPO engine

At #OFC23, Coherent demonstrated an optical transceiver module operating at 200 Gbps per optical lane and co-packaged optical (CPO) multimode optical engine operating at 50 Gbps NRZ.

Some highlights

• 200G per lane OSFP optical transceiver - This live demonstration shows an OSFP form factor with 200G PAM4 per lane optical and 100G PAM4 per lane electrical interfaces, with an optical reach of up to 2 km. This transceiver is for use in the next generation of 25T and 50T Ethernet switches. It represents a natural evolution from transceivers with 100G optical lanes and is more power-efficient and cost-effective than previous generations. This technology is expected to form the core of the second generation of 800G transceivers and the first generation of 1.6T transceivers. They represent a natural evolution from transceivers with 100G optical lanes and are more power-efficient and cost-effective. Initial applications are anticipated in hyperscale datacenters, with enterprise applications to follow.
• Co-packaged 800G multimode optical engine - This live demonstration shows a module that features 16 channels of 50G NRZ transmitters and receivers in a 15 mm x 15 mm x 4 mm multimode CPO 800G VCSEL-based engine. The entire analog front end, including the driver, VCSEL, photodiode, and transimpedance amplifier, consumes less than 4 pJ/bit. Each VCSEL is paired with another unpowered device to enable 100% cold sparing for extremely high reliability. Such multimode CPO engines are intended for use in cost-, power-, and latency-sensitive applications such as artificial intelligence and machine learning computer clusters. Prototypes of this multimode CPO engine, which are jointly developed with IBM under the sponsorship of ARPA-E, are available for immediate evaluation.

“These demonstrations will showcase the state of the art in datacom transceiver technology as we approach the era of terabit transmission,” said Dr. Lee Xu, Executive Vice President, Datacom Transceivers. “Such advances are critical to sustain the accelerating growth of the cloud through power efficiencies and cost reductions at both the module and architecture level.”

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Open ROADM tests interoperability at up to 400G

 At #OFC23, member of the Open ROADM Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) and demonstrating interoperability of optical network equipment elements at data rates up to 400G. Participants include AT&T, Ciena, Cisco-Acacia, Fujitsu, Infinera, Juniper, Lumentum, NEC, Nokia, NTT, Orange, and Ribbon in collaboration with the researchers at the OpNeAR laboratory of the University of Texas at Dallas and Politecnico di Milano.

The Open ROADM MSA defines interoperability specifications for disaggregated optical transport networks. These specifications, which also include YANG data models, address Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexers (ROADM), transponders, and pluggable optics. Multi-vendor Open ROADM compliant equipment can be integrated into the same network solution and controlled by the open source Transport PCE (TPCE) controller.

The optical network testbed  makes use of interconnected Open ROADM compliant equipment including ROADM nodes, 100G flexponders, Optical Transport Network (OTN) switches, 100G transponders, 400G transponders, 200G/300G/400G muxponders, a 400G single-node 3R regenerator, and CFP2-DCO and QSFP-DD 400G pluggable devices.

Demonstrated functionalities will include interoperability of CFP2-DCO 400G devices from three Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), an Open ROADM compliant 400G single-node 3R regenerator, an automated path restoration mechanism at the physical layer implemented in the open source TPCE controller, interoperability between CFP2-DCO and QSFP-DD 400G pluggable devices, an IPoverWDM architecture with routers hosting QSFP-DD 400G coherent pluggables supporting oFEC, and various multi-layer network monitoring techniques for both optical and data packet transport layers. These demonstrations will be carried out over a single testbed composed of multiple network elements provided by the participating OEMs.

The demonstration also marks the first showing of Open ROADM-compliant 400Gb/s transmission achieved via router-optimized QSFP-DD pluggables, which incorporate embedded amplification and tunable optical filtering to enable simple deployment over any type of ROADM line system. Optical signal Interoperability between CFP2-DCO 400G and QSFP-DD 400G will be showcased. With the ability to support all metro ROADM client performance requisites in the small QSFP-DD form factor, these technologies expand the range of Open ROADM applications to include converged IPoverWDM architectures, which Release 11.0 covers through an extension of both the device and service models to handle such use cases.

Two recently added functions to improve signal reliability in Open ROADM transport networks will also be demonstrated in the OFC’23 testbed. First, an Open ROADM-compliant 3R regenerator with a bidirectional single-node (all optical) design will be applied to a 400G signal routed through four ROADM sites in the testbed.  In this single-node design, only network interfaces must be specified (e.g., OTSI, OTSI-group, OTUC4, and ODUC4 for 400G) to achieve reliable high-data rate connections over multi-hop and/or long-distance physical routes. 

Second, the automated path restoration mechanism newly implemented in the open source Transport PCE (TPCE) controller will be applied to overcome unexpected quality degradations of a 400G service in the Open ROADM testbed. For any created wave service that is labeled as “restorable,” the open source TPCE controller triggers a restoration mechanism at the physical layer as soon as its signal is subjected to a severe power degradation (e.g., a fiber cut).  Upon receiving a change notification of the ROADM degree optical transmission section (OTS) interface operational state, TPCE computes a new candidate path to circumvent the problematic degree and reroutes the wave service over that path.

“AT&T is actively deploying Open ROADM MSA compliant optical network equipment and plans to have more than 10 metro markets supporting 100G and 400G traffic by year end,” says John Gibbons, AVP, Packet Core and Optical Transport, AT&T. “For operators, the interoperability enabled by Open ROADM can encourage lower costs, accelerate technology introduction, help reduce life-cycle costs, and allow networks to remain viable longer. The Open ROADM MSA continues to lead the industry in introducing new interoperable capabilities, as demonstrated by the Open ROADM demo at OFC 2023.”

http://openroadm.org/

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Sumitomo Electric to manufacture US Conec's MMC Multi-fiber Connector

Sumitomo Electric Lightwave has agreed to manufacture US Conec's MMC connector and TMT ferrule components for next-generation, high-density, multi-fiber cabling solutions. 

US Conec's MMC connector combines a novel, reduced footprint multi-fiber ferrule with a very small Form factor (VSFF) connector footprint which is 1/3 the size of the MPO format. This collaboration to deliver MMC solutions supports active hyper-scale data center cabling programs and ensures a robust supply chain for emerging and future optical link architectures. Initial deployments include 24F single-mode, low-loss MMC connectors.

"US Conec is a leader in the development of next generation VSFF multi-fiber connectivity, and we are pleased to partner with them to deliver connectivity solutions using their MMC connector, which is indispensable for building next-generation data centers. We will leverage our precision molding technology to produce and sell solutions utilizing MMC connectivity to help customers overcome their challenges for saving space and reducing installation time, thereby contributing to the realization of an advanced information society," said Yoshiyuki Suetsugu, Deputy General Manager, Info-communications Business Unit of Sumitomo Electric.

"We are excited to partner with Sumitomo Electric on next generation high density connectivity solutions with the MMC connector platform. Their long history as a premier MT ferrule maker makes Sumitomo Electric an excellent second source partner for TMT ferrules and MMC connector components. Combining Sumitomo Electric's proven high performance component background with state-of-the-art cable technology will help to ensure a robust supply chain for emerging fiber optic networks built with groundbreaking MMC based cabling solutions," said Joe Graham, President of US Conec.

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VIAVI shows test platform for 128X 800G ports

VIAVI showcased its new High-Speed Ethernet (HSE) Platform, a multiport solution that complements the physical layer testing capabilities of the VIAVI ONT-800 Platform. The HSE provides IC, module and network systems companies with high-speed devices for testing up to 128 x 800G. It offers physical layer test features with advanced traffic generation and analysis to troubleshoot and test the functionality and performance of integrated circuits and pluggable interfaces along with switching and routing devices and networks.

VIAVI will also demonstrate the recently released 800G Ethernet Technology Consortium (ETC) capability of its ONT 800G FLEX XPM Module, supporting testing needs of hyperscalers, data centers and related applications. In addition to supporting the 800G ETC implementation, it also offers extensive Forward Error Correction (FEC) stress and validation tools critical to ASIC, FPGA and IP implementations. The VIAVI ONT 800G XPM also offers tools to validate potential draft IEEE 802.3df proposals.

"As the leader in optical network testing up to 1.6T, VIAVI continues to invest in helping its customers simplify the challenges and complications involved with testing at high Ethernet speeds," said Tom Fawcett, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Lab & Production, VIAVI. "Our ONT-800 platform now supports 800G ETC, providing a logical addition to our solid physical layer testing foundation as we move up the Ethernet stack to the new HSE solution."

A new line of VIAVI Loopback Adapters has also been introduced at OFC. VIAVI QSFP-DD800 Loopback Adapters enable network equipment vendors, IC designers, service providers, ICPs, contract manufacturers and FAE teams to develop, validate and produce Ethernet switches, routers and processors that use high-speed pluggable optics. 

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Jabil debuts 800G Active Optical Cable Family

Jabil introduced a new Active Optical Cable (AOC) family suited for disaggregated data center and cloud environments. 

The first product is available in two configurations:

• point-to-point communications at speeds up to 800Gbps over distances of up to 100 meters. 
• a breakout-cable configuration which connects a single 800Gbps interface with two 400G QSFP-DD modules. The breakout cable is ideally suited to connect next-gen switches operating at 800Gbps with existing ports operating at 400Gbps without requiring additional conversion or mapping. 

The new 800G AOC product, which will be available in both QSFP-DD and OSFP form factors,  leverages Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) technology operating at 100Gbps per fiber and 800G PAM4 Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technology. 

Jabil’s first 800G AOC product will be available during the second half of 2023. Development is underway on 400G AOC products to extend the AOC product line while accommodating a wide range of applications.

“Jabil’s investments in key enabling technologies and world-class facilities are driving the availability of game-changing photonics solutions and capabilities,” said KW Hoo, vice president of the photonics business unit, Jabil. “With the introduction of our 800G AOC family, we meet immediate needs for low-cost, high-performance, short-distance interconnects. Jabil’s ability to push the boundaries of photonics technology is backed by strong product design, precision manufacturing, and packaging services that advance optical communications excellence on behalf of our global customers and valued partner ecosystem.”

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Lumentum showcases tunable transceivers for network edge

At OFC23, Lumentum is demonstrating its line-up of tunable transceivers for edge and access applications:

• 
  25G T-SFP28: A unique industrial (-40 to +85 C) temperature-capable 25G T-SFP28 DWDM transceiver that adopts  MSA-compliant SmartTunable technology to simplify field deployment tasks by adopting self-tuning algorithms. It leverages the company's substantial installed base of manufacturing capacity to meet the rapid growth anticipated from 5G applications. Lumentum's 25G TSFP28 is expected to be in production and available to customers by the end of March 2023.

• 10G OTN SFP+: An OTN SFP+ transceiver with an integrated forward error correction (FEC) engine that supports extended-reach applications without an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA). The transceiver can interoperate with any open DWDM line system and transparently carry a native 10G LAN PHY payload with a carrier-grade DWDM OTN interface. Lumentum is also introducing the industry's first 100G CFP2-DCO BiDi 

• 100G Coherent CFP2-DCO BiDi: A reflection-tolerant coherent optical transceiver for bi-directional DWDM transmission over a single fiber, addressing the challenges of link capacity, simplification, and cost.

"We are excited to introduce and demonstrate Lumentum's broad range of tunable transceiver modules at OFC," said Justin Abbott, Lumentum's Director of Product Line Management, Transmission. "With our latest products, we simplify, expand, and deliver cost-effective solutions essential for growth at the network edge, including for telecommunications carriers in the cable MSO and 5G space as they speed up connectivity in their deployments."

www.lumentum.com 

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OpenLight unveils 224G InP-based modulator

OpenLight demonstrated a 224G InP-based modulator available for Tower's PH18DA platform for datacom applications supporting 224G per wavelength

The new 224G modulator is integrated on a demonstration PIC with a heterogeneous integrated laser and other required silicon photonics components to enable a full transmitter. 

"This new modulator doubles the speed of every PIC," said Dr. Adam Carter, Chief Executive Officer at OpenLight. "For instance, our 800G DR8 PIC which was recently announced can become a 1.6T PIC (8x200G). Alternatively, a 400G DR4 PIC can now deliver 800G with four lanes. Our latest offering allows datacom customers to not only prepare for the future, but also keep up with the growing need for increased connectivity speeds."

"Our partnership with OpenLight continues to augment capability offered to all our silicon photonics foundry customers," said Dr. Marco Racanelli, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Tower Semiconductor's Analog Business Unit. "OpenLight's technology through Tower Semiconductor allows customers to achieve 224G operation on a silicon photonics platform and achieve the same benefits offered by on-chip lasers and optical gain without the need for separate lasers and costly attachment methods."

"200G modulation is a key building block and critical path to the delivery of next generation Ethernet speeds based upon 200G/lane," said Jim Theodoras, Vice President of Research and Development at HGGenuine USA. "This is not just a 200G modulator, but one that is available in a hybrid photonic integrated circuit. Next generation Ethernet cannot be delivered at the power and densities being requested by datacom customers without photonic integrated circuits, and we are happy to partner with OpenLight on their industry leading PIC technology that will enable not just 1.6T today, but also 3.2T in the near future."  

https://www.openlightphotonics.com

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Open XR Forum completes test of Point-to-Point 400G Pluggable Optics

The Open XR Forum demonstrated long-haul point-to-point transmission between QSFP56-DD coherent transceivers over 1,400 km at 400 Gb/s using 16QAM modulation, as well as error-free performance at 300 Gb/s using 8QAM modulation over a span of 2,495 km. 

The testing was conducted in conjunction with founding member Lumen Technologies using Infinera's ICE-XR 400G QSFP56-DD transceivers operating in third-party routers and transmitting over third-party line systems. The long-distance performance demonstrates the potential for pluggable transceivers to be used in DWDM long-haul and large metro networks. The integrated management features, which included in-band remote management and streaming telemetry, demonstrated transport functionality typically found in a transponder, but in the compact form of a pluggable transceiver. This management decoupling of key transceiver functions from host routing functions is a new and easily generalized method for integration and management of coherent transceivers in any host device, including routers, switches, and servers. The ability to separate management of IP and Optical functions better aligns with existing service provider operational models, helping resolve a key barrier for deployment of IP over DWDM.

The Open XR Forum said the demonstration is significant in two ways:

• long-reach performance equal to or greater than current state-of-the-art transceivers, 
• the first published demonstration of an advanced management method that enables management and control of optical transceiver functions independently from the host equipment.

The details and results of this demonstration are available in an Open XR Forum report, P2P (Point-to-Point) Performance and Host Independent Management Proof of Concept Demonstration.

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NTT Electronics ships 400G coherent co-package device for 400ZR/ZR+

NTT Electronics is now sampling its 400G coherent co-packaged devic for 400ZR/ZR+ optical transceivers. 

The new ExaLIGHT 400 consists of integrated dies of NTT Electronics’ ExaSPEED 400-R DSP and Silicon photonics based Coherent Optical Sub-Assembly (COSA 2.0) in a single package, which can be controlled by firmware for optimal performance. The package is non-hermetic and TEC-free and utilizes reflowable solder in BGA configuration to achieve 30% reduction in overall dimension compared to discreet design. 

NTT Electronics says the new ExaLIGHT 400 CPD eliminates the complexity of PCB design for supporting high speed signals between discrete DSP and coherent optics and simplifies module development. Furthermore, it creates additional space inside a small form factor pluggable module which is essential to integrate EDFA for 0dBm output power applications. NTT Electronics is pleased to be collaborating with key industry interconnect and optical transceiver suppliers, as part of its role to support the development of this innovative technology.

“The Coherent co-packaged device is an attractive offering for us, as a pluggable module provider. Its compactness is beneficial for small form factor module designs, and we’re also able to achieve better production yields than discrete components. We believe these features of coherent co-packaged devices will help us further development of efficient coherent pluggable modules,” said Joseph Chon, Director of Coherent Technology & Product Line Management, Molex.

“Pluggable coherent module assembly can be greatly simplified by simply combining ExaLIGHT 400 CPD with tunable Lasers. Its compactness and unified software design kit (SDK) for both DSP and COSA greatly reduce our customer’s development time of coherent pluggable modules,” said Tatsuhito Suzuki, NTT Electronics Executive Vice President and General Manager of Broadband System & Device Business Group. “Coherent CPD technology is a significant milestone for development of coherent pluggable modules. NTT Electronics continues to provide innovative solutions for key components to our valued partners”, he added.

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Eoptolink launches 800G, 400G and 100G Multimode BIDI transceivers

Eoptolink Technology introduced multimode BIDI transceivers: 800G SR4.2, 400G SR4.2 and 100G SR1.2.  The 800G and 400G versions are available in both OSFP and QSFP-DD800 form factors. 

The 800G SR4.2 transceiver uses 850nm and 910nm VCSELs with 106Gbps wavelengths. Two wavelengths are combined bidirectionally onto a single fiber. The 800G SR4.2 uses 4+4 fibers in an MPO-12 connector interface. This enables a smooth upgrade path from 400G to 800G without the need to replace the fiber infrastructure.

The 400G SR4.2 transceiver operates at 53Gbps wavelengths and follows the same architecture of the 800G SR4.2.  It can be configured for 400G point to point connectivity or as 400G to 4x100G with breakout connectivity. Both 100G MM bidi modules and 100G SR1.2 legacy modules based on IEEE KP4 FEC are supported in the 4x100G breakout application.

The 100G SR1.2 modules use a QSFP28 form-factor with duplex LC interface. The 850nm and 910nm wavelengths are combined onto a single fiber to guarantee interoperability with the 400G SR4.2 modules. The line side FEC follows the IEEE KP4 FEC.

"Our customers have reached out to us and asked us to develop these modules," explains Sean Davies, Eoptolinks VP Sales, "By introducing multimode BIDI optical transceivers capable of supporting 800G, 400G, and 100G, we have enhanced our comprehensive line of Multi-Mode transceivers and AOC cables supporting data rates from 10G to 800G."

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MACOM acquiresL inearizer Communications Group

MACOM Technology Solutions has acquired Linearizer Communications Group for approximately $49 million.

Linearizer, which is based in Hamilton, New Jersey and was founded in 1991 by Dr. Allen Katz, pecializes in non-linear microwave predistortion for use in terrestrial, avionic and space-based applications and high-performance microwave photonic solutions for use in the industrial and defense markets. The Linearizer team uses proprietary design and manufacturing techniques to produce its high-performance components and subsystems. Linearizer has a long history of service to its loyal customer base, which is primarily in North America.

“We are pleased to welcome Linearizer’s team into MACOM,” stated Stephen G. Daly, President and Chief Executive Officer, MACOM. “This acquisition strengthens MACOM’s component and subsystem design expertise in our target markets, which is in line with our long-term growth strategy.”

Dr. Allen Katz, Founder and President of Linearizer, stated, “We are thrilled to become part of MACOM. The synergy between our organizations is incredible. We look forward to executing a growth strategy utilizing the resources that MACOM can bring to bear.”

www.macom.com

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OFS joins Terabit BiDi Multi-Source Agreement

OFS has joined the Terabit BiDi Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) group. 

The MSA recently announced the publication of release 1.0 of its optical specifications for 800 Gb/s and 1.6 Tb/s optical interfaces over 70 meters of OM4 multimode fiber (MMF) and over 100m of OM5 multimode fiber. The MSA's specifications utilize the widely adopted dual wavelength bidirectional transmission technology. This provides an upgrade path to the large-scale deployed parallel MMF cabling infrastructure. The specifications are built on the 100 Gb/s Ethernet MMF specifications.

Additional members of the Terabit BiDi MSA include Alibaba, Arista, Broadcom, Cisco, Coherent, CommScope, Corning, Dell Technologies, HGGenuine, Hisense, Lumentum, MACOM, Marvell, Panduit and Tencent.

info@terabit-bidi-msa.com 

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Gigi Sohn drops bid for FCC commissioner seat

Over one year after being nominated by President Biden, Gigi Sohn formally withdrew from consideration as an FCC commissioner. 

The position requires U.S. Senate consent and despite three confirmation hearings, it did not appear likely that she could gain  approval. 

For now, the fifth seat at the FCC remains vacant.

Biden nominates Jessica Rosenworcel and Gigi Sohn to FCC

Tuesday, October 26, 2021  FCC, People  

President Biden nominated Jessica Rosenworcel to serve as Chair of the Federal Communications Commission and Gigi Sohn as Commissioner of the FCC.Jessica Rosenworcel presently serves as acting chair of the FCC. She has served as a Commissioner since 2012. Prior to joining the agency, she served as Senior Communications Counsel for the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, under the leadership of Senator John D....

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Casela achieves record high-efficiency, high-power uncooled 1.31 um CW-DFB lasers

 Casela Technologies introduced its 1310nm band high-power, continuous-wave (CW) distributed feedback (DFB) lasers .

Cáselas claims record high power conversion efficiency and optical powers for silicon photonics-based transceivers.

Casela’s new 1 and 2 mm long DFB lasers achieve 125mW to 200mW optical power when uncooled and 300 to 400mW, respectively, when cooled, enabling the use of single laser for DR4 and DR8 transceivers. High optical powers are achieved at industry-leading power conversion efficiencies of 30% when cooled and 20% when uncooled operating at the maximum rated power. Key features include large modes with near-circular profiles that improve coupling efficiency to fibers or silicon-based waveguides and reliable operation proven during accelerated life testing. The same high-efficiency, high-power laser design is also available at other WDM, LAN-WDM and CWDM4 wavelengths. 

“Casela was founded by industry veterans to focus on an innovative path to higher laser powers and efficiency demanded by new requirements in datacenters and system-on-chip (SOC) applications,” said Dr. Bo Lu, CEO of Casela Technologies. “With the demonstration and publication of our industry-leading laser results at OFC 2023, we are announcing our new laser platform and products for transceiver and co-packaged optics applications. We are also pleased that Casela’s high-output laser performance has been validated by multiple customers and will be available in high-volume production in 2H2023.”

www.caselatech.com

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Eoptolink launches 1.6T and 800G transceivers using 200G optics

At OFC23, Eoptolink Technology is introducing 1.6Tbps and 800Gbps modules leveraging 200Gbps per lambda optics.

Eoptolink will be demonstrating 200Gbps per lambda modules based on EMLs, and Silicon Photonics modulators as well as Thin-Film Lithium Niobate (TFLN) modulators.

Eoptolink 1.6T module, based on a 4x FR2 in OSFP-XD form factor with a 4x SN connector interface, uses an electrical interface of 16x 100Gbps signals and an optical side with 4x 400G FR2s. Each 400G FR2 interface uses two 200G wavelengths of 1291nm and 1311nm, requiring fewer modulators and lasers and resulting in lower power consumption. These modules can support a transmission distance of up to 2km and can be used for 1.6T point-to-point connectivity or 2x800G or 4x400G breakout applications.

The 800G DR4, FR4 and 2xFR2 modules use 8x 100Gbps signals on the electrical interface and four 200G wavelengths on the optical interface.

"The move to 200Gbps per lambda is the next step in the evolution of IM-DD optics, and we're excited to be leading the way in this market," said Sean Davies, Eoptolink VP of US Sales. "Our latest modules offer increased capacity, lower cost per bit, and reduced power consumption, making them ideal for a wide range of applications."

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OFS intros 4X Multicore Fibers (MCF) for SDM subsea cables

OFS introduced its TeraWave SCUBA 4X Multicore Ocean Fiber, promising four times the bandwidth in ocean applications using a four-core space division multiplexing (SDM) technology.

OFS said its SCUBA 4X multicore fiber will form the foundation of a new generation of transmission applications based on SDM.

The new fiber offers excellent transmission properties in C- and L-bands, with a demonstrated attenuation below 0.165 dB/km at 1550 nm and industry-leading adjacent core crosstalk of – 70 dB/km at 1550 nm. Other properties will be consistent with G.654.B/C compliant submarine fibers (9.7 mm mode field at 1550 nm, cutoff wavelength below 1520 nm, and standard cladding and coating dimensions).

 "OFS and FEC are committed to be industry leaders in SDM-based communication technology, with a comprehensive product portfolio encompassing fiber, connectivity and fusion splicing," said David DiGiovanni, Chief Technology Officer of OFS and President of OFS Labs. "We are working with several key customers as they adopt this ground-breaking increase in bandwidth density."

https://www.ofsoptics.com/multicore-optical-fiber/

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Adtran showcases coherent 100ZR QSFP28

Adtran demonstrated its Coherent 100ZR QSFP28 coherent pluggable operating over a DWDM metro ring configured with equipment at the Adtran booth as well as the Coherent Corp. and OFCnet booths.

The demo shows how operators can benefit from efficient and cost-effective deployment of coherent 100Gbit/s services with minimal power consumption and zero footprint increase.

Adtran said its Coherent 100ZR is purpose-built for the optical network edge, with its QSFP28 form factor and power specification enabling easy and cost-effective upgrades to 100Gbit/s data rates by plugging directly into existing head-ends, switches and routers.  The DSP enables the pluggable device to comply with the 5-watt QSFP28 specification.

The product was co-developed by Adtran and Coherent Corp. 

Adtran is also developing low-power silicon photonics integrated circuits that will enable even faster and more energy-efficient solutions across a wide range of applications.

“This demo is a significant milestone for network operators looking to expand their business capabilities. It highlights how our Coherent 100ZR can be easily and affordably integrated into a metro aggregation network, eliminating the need for costly infrastructure changes,” said Saeid Aramideh, VP of business development at Optical Engines, Adtran. 

“The technology we’re showcasing here will be a game-changer for service providers. It offers the ability to easily deploy coherent 100Gbit/s connectivity with compact footprint and lowest power consumption. By bringing coherent technology to the optical edge, we’re providing operators with a cost-efficient solution to upgrade edge aggregation networks to 100Gbit/s,” commented Ross Saunders, GM of Optical Engines, Adtran. “Our Coherent 100ZR will also boost sustainability by lowering our customers’ carbon footprint. What’s more, it offers a way to deliver an improved experience for end-users by supporting higher data rates and improved service reliability.”

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Corning carries 400G across 2,400km with Infinera’s QSFP-DD

Infinera achieved a 400G single-wavelength transmission using a 400G QSFP-DD intelligent coherent pluggable across 2,400 km of Corning’s TXF optical fiber — double the previous record.

The demonstration featured Infinera’s ICE-X 400G intelligent coherent pluggable solution hosted in UfiSpace’s 400G disaggregated core and edge routers across 2,400 km of Corning’s TXF fiber, an ultra-low-loss, silica-core fiber with large effective area. The demonstration leveraged the advanced features supported by Infinera’s line of ICE-X intelligent coherent pluggables, including integrated system-level intelligence, programmable modulation, tuneable baud rate, efficient spectrum utilization, and 0 dBm launch power.

“This achievement underscores the value of Infinera’s fully vertically integrated and highly programmable line of ICE-X pluggables,” said Robert Maher, Infinera CTO. “It also highlights the value of integrated system-level intelligence in enabling industry-leading point-to-point ZR+ performance even when deployed in third-party elements. ICE-X enables network operators to leverage cost-efficient and power-efficient pluggable solutions across a broad range of network applications without sacrificing performance, manageability, or network resiliency.”

“We are pleased to collaborate with Infinera once again to prove how combined leading-edge technologies can work together to maximize capacity and reach,” said Sharon Bois, division vice president, product line and marketing, Corning Optical Fiber and Cable. “Our TXF fiber enables network operators to transmit more data over longer distances and help connect the unconnected, all while lowering their overall network costs.”

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Windstream Wholesale carries 1 terabit wavelength over 540 km

Windstream Wholesale completed a live network trial that transmitted a 1 Terabit wave over 541 km over its Intelligent Converged Optical Network (ICON) network between Dallas and Tulsa using digital coherent optics by Acacia, now part of Cisco.

The team also looped the circuit to establish an 800 Gbps link over a live network measuring 1,082 kilometers.

The trial employed Acacia’s Coherent Interconnect Module 8 (CIM 8) module, which is powered by the Jannu DSP.

“With this trial, Windstream Wholesale and Acacia have broken through the Terabit limit, once again demonstrating the power and benefit of an open, disaggregated network,” said Art Nichols, chief technology officer for Windstream. “Our success here further validates Windstream Wholesale’s early adoption of the latest evolution advancements of coherent pluggables, and our strong partnership with Acacia enables us to understand and meet the rapidly evolving bandwidth needs of our customers.”

Acacia said its modules reduced power consumption by more than 65% while being more than 70% smaller than traditional network gear.

“As Windstream Wholesale is demonstrating, our CIM 8 module is breaking the Terabit threshold with deployable performance on a real network,” said Benny Mikkelsen, chief technology officer at Acacia. “By leveraging silicon photonics, we’ve been able to achieve the power consumption needed to bring the CIM 8 into a pluggable form factor and that is going to help Windstream cost-effectively meet their customers’ growing bandwidth demands.”

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Arelion transmits 400G wavelength over 1,800km with Infinera

Infinera and Arelion (formerly Telia Carrier) announced a record-setting transmission of 400 Gb/s using a QSFP-DD pluggable coherent transceiver over 1,800 km of SMF-28 fiber in a live production network. 

The result was achieved using Infinera’s ICE-X 400G ZR+ intelligent pluggable coherent transceiver across Arelion’s production transmission network on routes between Dallas, Memphis, and Chattanooga.

The field trial also demonstrated the programmability of Infinera’s ICE-X intelligent pluggable coherent solution. By adjusting the modulation of the optical signal in the same pluggable coherent solution, the companies also demonstrated long-distance performance at 300 Gb/s and 200 Gb/s using a QSFP-DD pluggable. These achievements were made possible by leveraging Arelion’s open and disaggregated networking approach over its live network with concurrently deployed wavelengths, including those of third-party solution providers.

“We are pleased to once again partner with Infinera,” said Georgios Tologlou, Senior Network Architect at Arelion. “We were early investors in optical pluggable components to drive demonstrable value and cost-efficiency for our customers. Lab trials with perfect fiber are one thing. But we are not afraid to test these pluggables in live networks over the same fiber we’re using for live traffic, so we were happy to demonstrate the real-world potential of Infinera’s new coherent pluggable technology when implemented through Arelion’s open and disaggregated network architecture.”

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