Advances to rev up fibre

Network could let carriers send more data over existing connections

Researchers are testing a new type of optical network that could help Europe’s telecoms carriers deal with increased internet traffic by sending more data further over existing fibre connections.

The Surfnet6 network, launched last week, was put together by integrator Telindus and network communications provider Avici Systems for research and education purposes in the Netherlands. It is built on Nortel technology, which includes Electronically Dynamically Compensating Optics (Edco) and Enhanced Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer (eRoadm).

Surfnet6 is a hybrid optical and packet switching network that makes it easier to provision optical network paths between end-points, improving bandwidth and reliability.

Nortel chief scientist Paul Hargrave believes this approach will have a revolutionary impact on European telecoms infrastructure over the next few years, and will allow carriers to increase capacity both in the backbone and metropolitan parts of their networks without having to lay cable or add much new equipment.

“It’s a case of using the same components and existing fibre but in a much more flexible manner, which saves on capital expenditure and operational expenditure,” said Hargrave. “It will start with carriers, but things like IPTV will make optics more important in the access network too as optical bandwidth is pushed closer to end-users.”

Separately, hardware communications vendor Allied Telesyn has announced its LX44000 wave division multiplexing (WDM) optical transport system, aimed at service providers and metropolitan Ethernet networks. Available now, the LX44000 system is priced at around $95,000 (£53,500).