UK’s YouFibre upgrades broadband backbone to 400G via Smartoptics
Open optical line systems vendor Smartoptics says it has supplied elements of its portfolio to support UK full fiber broadband provider YouFibre in the network operator’s 400G network upgrade. The new infrastructure includes the use of pluggable optics installed in YouFibre’s existing routers.
YouFibre. which has a sibling altnet broadband network operator in Netomnia, delivers broadband services across the UK (see, for example, “UK altnet Netomnia, YouFibre add £295 million in funding led by DigitalBridge”). Smartoptics says that YouFibre’s success in the northeast region of England sparked the service provider to upgrade its network capacity there from 100G to 400G. The upgrade sees the use of Smartoptics' passive muxes paired with DCP-F amplifiers and the aforementioned 400G optics.
“Smartoptics helped us realize that we could simply merge the optical and router layer by plugging optics directly into the routers we already had and making use of the available QSFP-DD ports. This was far more cost-efficient and easier to deploy than the traditional WDM equipment we were considering. We appreciated this strategic buying advice and Smartoptics’ on-site support for fast and smooth deployment. This solution is easily scalable, preparing us to meet further bandwidth surges in other parts of our network, which is crucial for supporting our continued rapid growth across the UK,” commented Sam Defriez, director of networks for YouFibre.
“We see YouFibre’s deployment as an excellent example of how plugging optics directly into routers is a flexible and cost-efficient option. IP-over-DWDM is becoming increasingly popular, and we see great growth potential in this area,” added Magnus Grenfeldt, CEO Smartoptics.
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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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