Infinera touts 61.3-Tbps trial with Telstra InfraCo on simulated 1240-km network link

May 8, 2023

The trial leveraged Infinera’s 800G-capable ICE6 coherent engine and Corning Inc.’s SMF-28 ULL fiber.

Infinera (NASDAQ: INFN) says it has collaborated with Telstra InfraCo on a simulated intercity network trial that demonstrated transmission of 61.3 Tbps of unregenerated data on a fiber pair over the equivalent of 1240 route-km between Melbourne and Sydney. The trial leveraged Infinera’s 800G-capable ICE6 coherent engine and Corning Inc.’s SMF-28 ULL fiber.

The collaborators designed the trial network to simulate one of Telstra InfraCo’s planned express routes between the two cities. The trial saw an in-service upgrade from C-Band to combined C-Band and L-Band without affecting traffic, Infinera asserts. In addition to demonstrating 61.3-Tbps total capacity, the simulated link showed 6.2 msec of latency across while carrying wavelengths up to 700 Gbps.

Telstra InfraCo is building a national network of intercity links for hyperscalers and other customers who need high-speed, low-latency connectivity between capital cities and international submarine cable landing stations. The company’s existing footprint already includes 250,000 km of fiber-optic cable, 370,000 km of ducts, 160,000 poles, and thousands of fixed network facilities including data centers, cable landing stations, and satellite ground stations.

“Based on these results, Telstra InfraCo’s express network and overall intercity fiber build will lead the world in scale, low latency, and high data transmission performance rate,” said Kathryn Jones, fiber executive at Telstra InfraCo. “The simulation exceeds our expectations, offering almost seven times today’s typical capacity of 8.8 Tbps per fiber pair and validates our selection of Corning’s SMF-28 ULL fiber in the cable design. This will enable Telstra to develop market-leading solutions for our customers today and for years to come – a key element of Telstra’s ambitious T25 strategy and transformation goals.”

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About the Author

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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