Verizon, NEC transmit 21.7 Tbps over field fiber

For the second year in a row, Verizon (NYSE, NASDAQ:VZ) and NEC Corporation of America have reported a new field transmission benchmark at OFC/NFOEC. This time, the two companies transmitted 21.7 Tbps over 1503 km of standard singlemode fiber in the Dallas area, which they say is the highest capacity to date.

The companies leveraged superchannels, which comprise a number of high-speed subchannels, to reach the 21.7-Tbps mark. The trial also used a novel approach that enabled different modulation formats to be used to help ensure signal performance while carrying the highest total capacity. The two companies also focused on transmission performance over a significant fiber distance since other experiments in this area have only been performed in a lab environment.

“Verizon continues its research to find the scientific limits of high-capacity optical technology as we strive to offer the most advanced network technology that adds long-term value to our customers and is capable of sustaining the tremendous growth potential,” said Ihab Tarazi, vice president of global IP and transport planning and technology for Verizon. “This joint effort moves the industry toward a better understanding of the technology’s challenges, differentiators, and viability because the future will be shaped by what we learn now.”

“NEC has a proven commitment in delivering the most advanced optical networking technology to allow carriers to meet the growth in network traffic,” said Masaaki Nakajima, senior vice president of NEC Corporation of America. “The success of the field trial with Verizon is an achievement that reaffirms our technology leadership and demonstrates the feasibility of delivering unmatched capacity over existing networks.”

In 2011, Verizon and NEC Corporation of America completed an industry first by successfully transmitting high bit-rate technologies, including 100G, 450G and 1T, coexisting on the same fiber in a joint field trial. The company also continues to deploy 100G on its global network.