Alcatel-Lucent builds 100G network for Saudi Arabia's Zain

Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext and NYSE: ALU) says that Zain KSA has asked the systems house to provide its 100G Agile Optical Networking technology to support the carrier’s provision of ultra-broadband access throughout Saudi Arabia.

Zain has made the nationwide deployment of fiber-based mobile ultra-broadband access to support the increasing network capacity demands of 4G LTE. The fiber-optic backbone network is based on converged DWDM and Optical Transport Network (OTN) technology, enabling Zain to provide 100G capability throughout the country’s main metropolitan areas.

Zain and Alcatel-Lucent are also conducting a trial of 400-Gbps data transmission over an existing optical link carrying live network traffic in the major western city of Jeddah. Alcatel-Lucent’s 400G optical approach is based on the 400-Gbps Photonic Service Engine (PSE) platform.

Alcatel-Lucent has provided Zain with its converged WDM/OTN platform, the 1830 Photonic Service Switch (PSS). The platform supports 100G and – as the demonstration indicates – is ready to support 400G optical transmission.

“Zain Saudi Arabia is the first operator in the Middle East to deploy Alcatel-Lucent’s Agile Optical Network technology over an existing fiber network,” said Hassan Kabbani, CEO of Zain KSA. “The growing appetite for bandwidth-hungry mobile devices and applications is driving tremendous demand throughout our network, and taking this approach provides high-capacity with the flexibility and efficiency to serve our customers today and in the future. The 400G trial underscores our leadership within the Middle East and reinforces our commitment to maintaining leading-edge high-speed Internet capability.”

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