SURF trials ECI's Apollo TM1200 1.2-Tbps optical transport blade
ECI says it has collaborated with Dutch national research and education (R&E) network operator SURF on a trial of the system house’s Apollo TM1200 1.2-Tbps dual channel, programmable blade. The trial took place across a 1650-km fiber link between SURF's main facility in Amsterdam and CERN's communication center in Geneva.
The company says the trial showed demonstrated the blade's ability to support live traffic of 300 Gbps per wavelength over predominantly G.655 fibers. The trial route included 22 intermediate nodes and the transmission did not require signal regeneration or RAMAN amplification, ECI asserts. Optimization of the line-rate modulation increased link capacity by approximately 150%, the company adds.
SURF used ECI Apollo platforms to upgrade the SURFnet 8 optical network backbone in 2017 (see “SURFnet chooses ECI for SURFnet8 optical transport network”), paving the way for the current trial of the TM1200 blade, which ECI unveiled late last year (see “ECI offers TM1200 1.2-Tbps dual channel linecard for Apollo DWDM line”). "The TM1200 adds yet another layer of flexibility and programmability to our optical capabilities. With the TM1200 we can now optimize modulation schemes in line with our requirements and the distances transmitted, ensuring optimal use of our fiber capacity," said Rob Smets, network architect at SURF. "We were pleased to discover we could improve link capacity and efficiency by approximately 150% just by replacing the card, even on our 'old' (G.655) fibers. With ECI's help and our continuously updated network capabilities, we will continue to provide our millions of users with the levels of performance and service to which they've become accustomed."
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Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave
Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.
Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.
He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.
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