With capacity four times higher than the maximum bandwidth currently available and using 44 wavelengths, the new optical link can transmit up to 17.6 Terabits per second (Tbps) of traffic in total.

The achievement reflects France Telecom-Orange's commitment to sustainably raising its network performance to meet the growing need for high-capacity bandwidth and additional flexibility needs for its mass market and business customers. Upgrades to network infrastructure make existing uses for business customers smoother and will encourage the emergence of new services, such as video (video on demand, telepresence), that require high bandwidth and seamless connectivity. RENATER, the Public Interest Group that manages the telecommunications network for “Technology, Teaching and Research” institutions in France and that is a customer of Orange Business Services, will be the first to test the functionality of this technological development in a real-life situation.

Patrick Donath, Managing Director of RENATER, explains: "As part of our innovation programme, we plan to test this optical fiber link in real conditions by using it to route traffic across one of our main backbone arteries between Paris and Lyon. This link transports the bulk of France's scientific data that passes through our network. This pilot phase also aims to test the latest switching equipment supplied by major OEMs on a network running at this capacity and will enable us the anticipate the architecture of RENATER's network in the coming years. A 400 Gbps network is an important step forward for the networks and research projects of tomorrow."

France Télécom – Orange