SaskTel trials 400-Gbps optical transport on live fiber link with Alcatel-Lucent

Canada’s SaskTel has partnered with Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) to test the latter’s 400-Gbps optical coherent transmission technology. The trial used a live fiber-optic network link of more than 250 km between the Saskatchewan cities of Regina and Saskatoon that was originally designed to carry 10-Gbps traffic.

The successful results “could lead to the deployment of the Alcatel-Lucent technology,” the system house stated hopefully in a press release.

SaskTel has aggressively rolled out fiber to the home (FTTH), also using equipment from Alcatel-Lucent (see “SaskTel infiNET FTTP network open for business” and “Alcatel-Lucent wins SaskTel GPON FTTP deal”). The amount of traffic the FTTH network generates has led the provincial carrier to keep an eye on pathways to future capacity expansion, particularly in its backbone routes.

"This trial demonstrates the commitment SaskTel has to being a leader in broadband and providing the best and fastest communications network to our numerous stakeholders including consumers, government, and our region's diverse private industries,” said Ron Styles, CEO of SaskTel. “Because it utilizes our existing network, Alcatel-Lucent' scalable solution will efficiently allow us to meet customer needs today and for those in the future as well."

The test used Alcatel-Lucent's 1830 Photonic Service Switch (PSS) platform equipped with the company’s 400G Photonic Service Engine (PSE) electro-optics chip, the cornerstone of Alcatel-Lucent’s 400-Gbps product offering. SaskTel has deployed the 1830 PSS in its network.

"Our 1830 PSS solution has been enabling customers to effectively transform their networks to address increasing demands for high speed broadband for several years,” asserted Alex Giosa, president of Alcatel-Lucent Canada. “The combination of the 1830 PSS enhanced with the new 400G PSE which we have trialled at SaskTel will allow us to continue to provide the kind of transformative solutions our service provider customers require to meet their customers ever growing needs for faster and faster connectivity."

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