Alcatel Claims DWDM Speed Record

PARIS -- Alcatel, the world leader in optical networking, today announced that it has set a new world record for DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing) transmission capacity over backbone networks. The company has achieved a unidirectional transmission of 128 channels each modulated at 40Gbit/s, reaching a total throughput of 5.12Tbit/s (5,120Gbit/s) over 300 km. This result was achieved with three technologies developed by Alcatel : 40Gbit/s DWDM systems, an innovating technique to make the most of existing bandwidth, and TeraLightTM optical fibers. This demonstration once again highlights the technological leadership of Alcatel in 40Gbit/s DWDM systems as well as the unequalled potential of the commercially available TeraLightTM fiber for 2.5, 10 and 40Gbit/s transmission.

Christian Reinaudo, President of Alcatel's Optics Group, stated: "In the past years, the capacity of optical transmission systems has been doubling faster than the already impressive Moore's law predictions for electronics. Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM), in which Alcatel is the recognized world leader, accounts for most of this evolution. With this 5.12Tbit/s achievement, Alcatel paves the way towards 10Tbit/s transmission on a single optical fiber, thus offering its customers perspectives for unprecedented capacities and services at the lowest cost."

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