AT&T opens 400-Gbps fiber-optic link from Dallas to Atlanta using white-box hardware
AT&T (NYSE:T) says it has inaugurated a 400-Gbps link between Dallas and Atlanta. The link uses optical transmission technology from Ciena (NYSE:CIEN) and Innolight alongside a white-box router from UfiSpace based on the Broadcom Jericho2 Distributed Disaggregated Chassis (DDC) design AT&T recently submitted to the Open Compute Project (OCP). The service provider asserts the 400-Gbps, flex-grid-enabled link is the first production network upgrade of its type.
“The move from a 100G interface to 400G is a milestone for the communications industry, because it means we can continue to stay ahead of the tsunami of data demand we’ve seen over the last decade-plus,” said Andre Fuetsch, executive vice president and chief technology officer, AT&T. “This accomplishment also speaks to the tremendously collaborative ecosystem we’ve helped foster with key innovators in optical technology, white-box hardware, and software-defined networking. Ciena, UfiSpace, Broadcom, and InnoLight have brought great ideas and technologies to bear to make 400G a reality.”
Ciena’s role centers around its WaveLogic Ai-enabled 6500 packet-optical transport platform and Blue Planet Manage, Control and Plan (MCP) domain controller. AT&T has integrated the MCP controller into its ONAP management and control framework via an application programming interface (API) specified by the Open ROADM Multi-Source Agreement (MSA). Ciena is a longstanding member of the Open ROADM initiative, which AT&T began publicly discussing in March 2016. The initiative and subsequent MSA seek to define methods to provide ROADM functionality via open software and hardware. AT&T has conducted lab and field trials and of Open ROADM technology, including one focused on 400G transport (see “AT&T completes 400 Gigabit Ethernet trials using OpenROADM”).
The traffic entering the Atlanta and Dallas main nodes is terminated via the white-box router from UfiSpace. The DDC-based white-box platform, based on Broadcom’s Jericho2 packet processing chip, provides 10x400G interfaces on a 2RU pizza-box-style form factor. This configuration is one of two line-card configurations (there is also a fabric card option) contributed to the OCP, as described in an AT&T press release from this past September. AT&T had collaborated with UfiSpace on a demonstration of a white-box router derived cell site gateway during the Open Networking Summit (ONS) this past April (see “AT&T shows off Ufi Space white box cell site gateway router based on OCP specifications”).
AT&T links the Ciena and UfiSpace platforms via QSFP56DD-FR4 pluggable 400 Gigabit Ethernet optical transceivers from InnoLight.
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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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