Canadian cable MSO Shaw Communications (NYSE: SJR) and Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) have collaborated on what the companies assert is the first successful field trial of 400-Gbps transmission technology over a live fiber-optic network in North America.
The trial demonstrated the ability of the network to support 17.6 Tbps of total capacity using Alcatel-Lucent’s 400-Gbps technology, reports CI&M's sister site, Lightwave. The two companies conducted the trial using a 400-km section of Shaw’s network between Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta that had previously been engineered for 100 Gbps via Alcatel-Lucent’s 1830 PSS with the 400G Photonic Service Engine (PSE).
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This is Alcatel-Lucent’s second announced 400-Gbps field test. The company previously announced a trial with France Telecom/Orange.
“Shaw Communications is one of the first companies in the world to experience the capabilities of the 400G technology, enabling them to keep up with the increasing traffic demands being placed on their network," commented Alex Giosa, president of Alcatel-Lucent Canada.
“With the growing appetite for services and the proliferation over many different devices, including tablets and connected devices, we were looking for next-generation technologies to help us build a world-leading infrastructure capable of keeping up with broadband demands,” added Peter Bissonnette, president of Shaw Communications.
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