Lumen Technologies and Ciena have collaborated on a successful 1.2 terabit wavelength service trial across 3,050 kilometers (more than 1,800 miles) on Lumen’s Ultra-Low-Loss (ULL) fiber network, the longest 1.2 Tbps non-regenerated signal across the globe.
Lumen and Ciena used 800G interfaces to successfully test and qualify the services to support wavelength, Ethernet, and IP services over the 1.2 Tbps single carrier channel.
According to Lumen, the successful trial is important because artificial intelligence (AI), cloud, and security demands are pushing data transmission speeds to new limits. The jump to 1.2 Tbps wavelength services unlocks next-gen AI, cloud and data-intensive applications while improving scalability and network efficiency, an important development for hyperscalers and similar enterprises.
The trial used Ciena’s latest WaveLogic 6 Extreme (WL6e) technology equipped in the Waveserver platform running over a 6500 photonic line system and the seamless interoperability between Ciena’s Waveserver platform and the Juniper PTX10002-36QDD Packet Transport Router at 800 Gbps over the ultra-long-haul 1.2 Tbps intercity network.
“1.2 terabits per second isn’t just about incredible speed and long distances, it’s about the value of enabling the next wave of digital transformation. Lumen is at the forefront of building a next-generation network designed to handle the explosive growth of AI and cloud workloads,” Dave Ward, Lumen’s chief technology and product officer, said in a prepared statement about the Lumen signal test.
“Our investment in increased capacity, powered by Ciena’s WaveLogic 6 technology, provides our hyperscale cloud partners and enterprises with the ultra-high-capacity connectivity needed to scale their AI and cloud applications. With 400G connectivity speeds today and a seamless upgrade path to 1.2 terabits, Lumen stands as the trusted network for AI.” Other broadband companies are also pursuing Tbps speeds. Weeks before the Lumen test, AT&T recently reported that it had transported a signal at 1.6 Tbps on a single wavelength.
