Song Networks and Optillion complete OC-192 interoperability field trial for 10 GbE using XENPAK
September 28, 2004 Stockholm--Transceiver supplier Optillion and pan-Nordic telecom operator Song Networks have completed the first phase of WAN PHY interoperability testing with impressive field trial results. The companies are conducting field trials to prove Ethernet switches with a populated XENPAK slot can deliver 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10-GbE) traffic cost-effectively across existing long-haul networks.
Carriers have been hesitant to reap the benefits of Ethernet traffic over long distances due to the cost constraints with new 10-GbE networking equipment. This trial proves to carriers that there is an economically optimized solution for mixing and matching of different systems, eliminating any interoperability issues and additional high investment costs.
For the field trial, the Optillion TOP 4010 WAN PHY transceiver along with Nortel's Optera LH OC-192 DWDM transmission equipment and Extreme Network's Black Diamond 6800 10-GbE switch were used. One 10-GbE traffic pipe was carried between two points extending a distance of more than 600 km. For the Ethernet data rate, it was adapted to 9.95 Gbits/sec to match the OC-192 requirement and then transparently SONET/SDH framed by the Optillion XENPAK module.
"We are very pleased with the results of the field trials with Optillion. It proves the capabilities and the potential for using WAN PHY XENPAK technology with various vendor equipment to accomplish a very cost-effective solution for carrying Ethernet traffic that was not realized before," said Mikael Abrahamsson, network engineer at Song Networks.
Optillion offers the bridging solution for SONET/SDH and Ethernet with its TOP 4010 WAN PHY XENPAK module. The TOP 4010 fully supports the carrier's traditional way of monitoring the equipment, reducing Ethernet to SONET/SDH conversion equipment expenditures while maintaining the quality of the network. The transceiver has been developed in accordance with the 10 GbE standard IEEE 802.3 and with the XENPAK multi-source agreement.