SMALL WONDER


A new implementation agreement for low-power consumption will see small modules push technological barriers


ANDY EXTANCE O


ne of few things to match large web- scale internet content providers’ power in the modern world is their hunger for data. Consequently,


they are shaping the optical communication industry to get the benefits of high-speed 400G technology in just the format they like. Te OFC event in San Diego in March


therefore saw some critical announcements and demonstrations surrounding 400ZR implementation agreements (IAs). 400ZR is being developed to link switches in separate data centres up to 80km apart as an Ethernet- based networking interface, defined by the Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF). It specifies 400Gb/s optical transmission over a single wavelength for dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) deployments, providing massive interconnect bandwidth. It is part of the trend that sees coherent


optical technology entering many network types, according to Helen Xenos, senior director, portolio marketing at network solution


14 FiBRE SYSTEMS n Issue 24 n Summer 2019


provider Ciena. ‘All the benefits of being able to scale the network for capacity, lowering cost per bit year-on-year, makes them more competitive,’ she said. However, the requirements for these


coherent solutions diverge in different networks, which is why 400ZR is needed.


Looking to downsize Traditional performance-optimised coherent solutions maximise fibre capacity and the spectral efficiency with which they transmit information on the wavelengths used, reducing transport costs. But this is evolving to provide short distance, high capacity links between data centres in the hyperscale networks running large distributed sites such as Facebook or Google. ‘We’re seeing the need also for footprint-


optimised solutions, where, instead of maximising fibre capacity, it’s more important to get this very small solution,’ Xenos explained. ‘Predominantly, it will be a coherent pluggable – and 400ZR plays in this space.’


www.fibre-systems.com @fibresystemsmag


400ZR can be used with amplification (coloured examples) or without (grey examples)


OIF Google


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40