Verizon announced Tuesday that it successfully completed trials delivering live 400 Gbps Ethernet traffic on a single wavelength over its packet-optical network.
The tests took place in the Dallas area in December and proved interoperability of equipment from two different vendors, as well as the ability to quadruple the typical wavelength capacity.
Traffic was moved between two Juniper Networks PTX 5000 routers over Ciena’s 6500 Packet-Optical Platform — both used in Verizon’s production network. The 400 Gbps connections complied with the recently ratified IEEE Standard 802.3bs-2017.
“As network traffic continues to grow at an accelerated rate and 5G proliferates, communications carriers and equipment providers must not only work together but also be agile, quickly leveraging new standards and technologies as they become available to rapidly innovate and expand the capability of core networks,” Sally Bament, VP of Service Provider Marketing for Juniper Networks, said in a statement. “We’re excited to have played a key role in enabling a successful 400 Gbps trial that will pave the way for future high-bandwidth applications and services.”
Verizon said the trials mark a vital step toward router technology and 400 Gbps transmission, which is key to the continued growth of applications like video streaming, virtual reality and cloud computing.
“We’re delivering more content and capacity than ever from our network and we’re gearing up to do more,” added Lee Hicks, VP of Network Planning for Verizon. “The appetite from consumers and businesses alike continues to grow. This 400G trial demonstrates our relentless focus on building networks people want and need. We’re building the future now.”
The operator did not specifically indicate when it would roll out 400 gigabit Ethernet capabilities in its packet-optical network.
Verizon isn’t the only operator conducting recent tests of 400 gigabit Ethernet (GbE) transmission. In September, AT&T successfully completed tests of a single-wavelength 400 GbE data speed across its production network.
“This is an exciting time in our industry as live 400G trials and deployments are ramping up, proving that future networks will adapt to handle the next wave of high-speed applications and services,” said Steve Alexander, CTO for Ciena. “This trial leveraged WaveLogic Ai – the latest generation of Ciena’s coherent optical technology, which can give Verizon greater competitive advantage and ensure its network will meet growing customer bandwidth demands.”
