AUGUST 3, 2009 -- Australian carrier Telstra says that it partnered with Nortel to complete trials of 100-Gbps and 40-Gbps transmission over the longest distances ever attempted.
The 100-Gbps trial used a continuous 2,038-km fiber-optic link between Adelaide and Sydney, while the 40-Gbps trial took place over 3,370 km on a looped-back section of the Sydney to Adelaide route. Both trials used Nortel optical technology on existing Telstra fiber.
This is the second 100G trial using Nortel equipment announced this year (see "SURFnet lights live 100G path with Nortel and Telindus"). The company has also performed 100G trials with Verizon (see "Verizon, Nortel announce 100G trial").
Nortel also has announced a string of 40G sales this year (see "Nortel claims 40G market leadership").
Telstra Networks & Services Group Managing Director Michael Rocca said the trials were groundbreaking. "Carriers the world over are looking for the next generation of transmission technology because customer bandwidth needs are quickly surpassing current limits," he said.
"These trials with Nortel demonstrate that our existing network is capable of transporting even larger amounts of network traffic without incurring the cost of major equipment and infrastructure upgrades," Rocca added. "Of course, they also contribute to the development of technology that will eventually benefit not only Australian consumers but also the worldwide telecommunications industry."
Telstra says it has experienced a tenfold increase in network traffic on national inter-capital routes and recently announced it will upgrade the Sydney to Melbourne transmission link from 10 to 40 Gbps to cope with the surge in demand.
Both trials used Nortel's DWDM technology to enable unregenerated transmission on Telstra's underlying optical fiber infrastructure over a two-week period from July 3 to July 17.
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