Sprint is upgrading its optical backbone network with 6500 Packet-Optical Platforms from Ciena Corp. (NASDAQ: CIEN). The enhancements will enable Sprint to scale its high-speed transport network and improve cost and performance. Ciena says the 6500 platforms will support core network speeds of 40G and 100G today, growing eventually to 400G and beyond. To illustrate this point, Ciena says it will conduct a 400G field trial with Sprint early next year.
Ciena has supplied equipment to Sprint since 1998. The current upgrade builds on Sprint’s existing deployments of Ciena’s CoreStream Agility Optical Transport Systems.
“As a long-time partner to Sprint, Ciena has proven itself to be a strategic, innovative provider of technology that allows us to enhance the capacity and flexibility of our network. With its industry-leading coherent optical technology, we are able to expand our network to address growing demand for high-speed data services today, with a built-in path to deliver higher-speed data services in the future,” said Iyad Tarazi, vice president of network development and engineering at Sprint.
As with other recent 6500 deployments, Sprint will leverage the capabilities of Ciena’s WaveLogic processor. The systems vendor recently announced that its upcoming WaveLogic 3 version will support 400-Gbps data rates (see “Ciena's third generation of Wavelogic processors supports 400G”), which will be the focus on the upcoming trial. The exercise will enable Sprint to check the feasibility of using 400-Gbps channels on systems already carrying live customer traffic, and to demonstrate that the network will be able to support future traffic needs on the existing fiber plant.
“Today’s service provider needs an unconstrained network to support the exponential data growth, while leveraging existing hardware and fiber investments,” Philippe Morin, senior VP of global field operations, Ciena. “Ciena’s coherent optical technology provides Sprint with the resources to bridge this gap, while enabling a seamless path to deliver next-generation data services.”
Sprint is also using Ciena’s OneControl Unified Management System for centralized network management, and Ciena Specialist Services to help minimize implementation costs and ensure that the network is turned up efficiently.
For more information on high-speed transmission systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.