Windstream Wholesale field trials 400G ZR+ modules over 1000-km link with II-VI

March 15, 2022

The field trial says the modules displayed “strong working margins” when used on a production network route as well as in a lab trial in which the transmission traversed up to 24 ROADMs.

Stephen Hardy

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Windstream Wholesale has noted the successful completion of the 400G ZR+ QSFP-DD-DCO optical transceivers it co-developed with II-VI Inc. (Nasdaq: IIVI; see “Windstream Wholesale receives 400G ZR+ QSFP-DD-DCO optical transceivers from II-VI”). The trials saw the 0-dBm optical modules transmit 400G across 1000 km. The field trial says the modules displayed “strong working margins” when used on a production network route as well as in a lab trial in which the transmission traversed up to 24 ROADMs.

For the trial, Windstream Wholesale established a 400G connection via 0-dBm ZR+ qualification units from II-VI over a greater than 1,000-km link between Phoenix and Los Angeles. The modules exhibited what the service provider asserted was a strong residual margin k with a power consumption of less than 20 W. The trial validated the suitability of the QSFP-DD-DCO optical transceivers for production use, Windstream Wholesale added.

“II-VI’s high transmit power 0-dBm 400G QSFP-DD DCO transceivers enable Windstream to deploy greatly simplified network architectures by optically connecting routers directly to access, metro, and regional transport networks without additional intermediary interfaces, eliminating an entire layer of optical equipment,” said Buddy Bayer, chief network officer at Windstream. “This revolution in IP-over-DWDM network architecture achieves significant savings in upfront costs and ongoing expenses, affording Windstream a highly competitive operational model.”

“Our partnership with Windstream on the joint development of the 0-dBm 400G ZR+ QSFP-DD-DCO transceivers has allowed II-VI to accelerate the technology development, as proven by the recent success in the field trials,” said Matthias Berger, vice president, coherent technology, at II-VI. “Demonstrating interoperability, low power dissipation, and native 0-dBm output is a ‘triple-play’ of features that will enable IP-over-DWDM for ROADM-based networks.”

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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.

You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.