How DWDM built a future-proof, 800G-ready optical core to power its rapid fibre expansion, leveraging open ROADM architecture and the latest in 400G pluggable technology.
CASE STUDY:
The Challenge: Scaling a National Backbone for Unprecedented Growth
Driven by its retail brands, along with a growing B2B partner portfolio, demanded a new approach to its national core network.
Relying on third-party lit services was no longer scalable or cost-effective.
The key challenges were:
Exponential Traffic Growth: Rising volumes from FTTH (Fibre-to-the-Home) and business services.
• Need for Flexibility: Requiring a network architecture that could adapt quickly to changing demands.
• Cost Efficiency: Seeking significant long-term savings over leased services.
• Future-Proofing: Building a foundation capable of supporting next-generation technologies like a commercial 800G single wavelength.
The Solution: An Open, Scalable ROADM Platform Ready for 800G
After a competitive selection process, To deploy a flexible, open DWDM solution.
The decision was driven by:
• Open Architecture: Support for alien wavelengths and any vendor’s coherent pluggable optics, ensuring interoperability and avoiding vendor lock-in.
• Scalability to 800G: A ROADM-based backbone designed to scale seamlessly from 100G/400G to future 800G wavelengths.
• Operational Simplicity: An intuitive management suite (SoSmart) for easy provisioning and control.
• Power & Cost Optimization: A platform built on compact, low-power hardware.
The decision was driven by:
• Open Architecture: Support for alien wavelengths and any vendor’s coherent pluggable optics, ensuring interoperability and avoiding vendor lock-in.
• Scalability to 800G: A ROADM-based backbone designed to scale seamlessly from 100G/400G to future 800G wavelengths.
• Operational Simplicity: An intuitive management suite (SoSmart) for easy provisioning and control.
• Power & Cost Optimization: A platform built on compact, low-power hardware.
The Result: A High-Performance, Cost-Efficient Foundation for the Future
The new backbone delivered immediate and long-term benefits:
Significant Cost Savings: Eliminated dependency on leased lit services, projecting major savings over a 5-7 year horizon.
Optimized Network Performance: Upgraded backhaul at key sites to improve efficiency in high-growth areas.
800G-Ready Agility: The network is primed for the next leap in capacity, including the commercial availability of 800G in a single wavelength.
Sustainable Growth: Built on compact, low-power hardware, aligning scalability with sustainability goals.
Significant Cost Savings: Eliminated dependency on leased lit services, projecting major savings over a 5-7 year horizon.
Optimized Network Performance: Upgraded backhaul at key sites to improve efficiency in high-growth areas.
800G-Ready Agility: The network is primed for the next leap in capacity, including the commercial availability of 800G in a single wavelength.
Sustainable Growth: Built on compact, low-power hardware, aligning scalability with sustainability goals.
The Technology Enabler: 400G & The Path to 800G
The industry is rapidly standardizing on power-dense, cost-optimized solutions using standard pluggable technologies.
These solutions are the workhorses for most applications, offering a balance of strong performance and affordability.
These solutions are the workhorses for most applications, offering a balance of strong performance and affordability.
The game-changer is the commercial availability of 400G pluggable optics.
These compact modules are ideal for cable landing backhaul and metro-regional applications, enabling 400G links over hundreds of kilometers in a simple, plug-and-play form factor.
This technology paves the way for the eventual deployment of even higher capacities, including 800G coherent pluggables.
This technology paves the way for the eventual deployment of even higher capacities, including 800G coherent pluggables.
Is Your Network Ready for the 800G Era?
Building a scalable, open, and cost-efficient optical backbone is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity for competitive service providers.
Are you planning your network evolution towards 400G and 800G?
Are you planning your network evolution towards 400G and 800G?
