AT&T has taken what it says is a big step towards driving the efficiency of its long-distance network with a trial in which data was transported at 1.6 terabits per second (Tbps) on a single wavelength. This is four times the top speed of the carrier’s network today.
The test was alongside live traffic over a network link of about 184 miles between Newark, New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The test involved transmitting two 800 Gigabit Ethernet end-to-end circuits using a single light frequency. The test traffic was transported on 100 Gbps and 400 Gbps wavelengths.
Other efficiency-driving elements of the trial and technology include control by the AT&T DriveNets Network Cloud software running on software-based open-source white box switches. The platform is hardware-agnostic and requires only two rack units (RUs).
Other vendors in the AT&T trial were Ciena (the WaveLogic 6 Extreme coherent optical transponder) and Keysight (the AresOne-M 800GE test set). The WL6e is especially important in driving efficiency because it cuts power per transponder requirements by half compared to current 800G transponders, according to the press release.
“Traffic on AT&T’s network continues to increase as consumers are using more connected devices,” Mike Satterlee, Vice President, Network Infrastructure and Services, AT&T, said in the press release about the trial.
“We anticipate network traffic growth to double by 2028 and the technologies demonstrated in this trial will play a key role in AT&T’s continued efforts to keep up with increasing customer demand to send data, watch videos, and use streaming services.”
In January, the carrier announced the AT&T Guarantee. It is a customer guarantee across wireless and fiber networks for both consumers and small businesses. It promises consumer and small business customers dependable connectivity, attractive deals and prompt and friendly service.
