Merit Network deploys direct detect 100G technology from ADVA Optical Networking

Optical transport systems vendor ADVA Optical Networking says that Merit Network, which supplies connectivity services to research and education institutions in Michigan, has installed the company’s 100G Metro technology, which is based on direct-detect modulation rather than coherent technology (see “ADVA Optical Networking offers cost-reduced 100-Gbps for metro networks”). The data rate upgrade will increase capacity on a portion of Merit’s core network that runs from Ann Arbor to Detroit and Lansing, to its optical fiber ring in Chicago, where it accesses the Internet2 national high-speed backbone.

The new 100-Gbps link spans 800 km of fiber without regeneration, ADVA says, which is a distance record for the technology. The 100G upgrade comes shortly after Merit completed a new 10G network in Michigan's Upper Peninsula as part of its REACH-3MC infrastructure. Merit used the ADVA FSP 3000 platform in the REACH-3MC build out. The network services provider has been working with ADVA since 2003 (see, for example, “Merit Network targets education and research market with upgrade”).

"Our membership community features some of the world's leading research universities, who are continually pushing the boundaries of science and exploring new methods of educational collaboration. To succeed here requires network performance and capacity on a very large scale," said Don Welch, president and CEO, Merit Network. "The ADVA 100G Metro removes any limits to our members in Michigan, ensuring they can participate on any scientific research project, whether it be national or even global. This is critical for Merit and our members, especially when we're discussing the exchange of petabytes of data. Thanks to the team at ADVA Optical Networking, Merit is able to continually scale our network to outpace the needs of our Membership. That's why we've been a customer for over 10 years."

For more information on high-speed transmission systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.