Service providers may be finally getting their 100 Gbps plans in order, but Nokia Siemens Networks is already thinking about how it can help deliver 400 Gbps over existing fiber.
Following its announcement of its 400G-ready DWDM equipment, which it says will start to be deployed by carriers in 2011, NSN conducted what it claims is one of the first lab trials of transmitting data at 200 Mbps over standard optical fiber. Conducted at its research and development center in Munich leveraging its prototype equipment, the trial follows its initial announcement of its 400G-ready Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) equipment in June.
Similar to the debut of its 400 Gbps-capable equipment, which paves the way to 400 Gbps in a migratory manner through its FlexiGrid technology, the trial is all about reuse of existing equipment and fiber-two factors that will obviously protect existing investments and provide higher data rates for users.
However compelling a 400 Gbps connection could be, both large (AT&T, Qwest, Telstra and Verizon) and aggressive competitive service providers (Lightower) are still in the early stages of trialing or deploying 100 Gbps on select routes, so the impact of 400 Gbps won't be immediate.
For more:
- see the lab test release here
- and here's the initial product roadmap
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