Nokia, in collaboration with Türk Telekom International, has announced a groundbreaking achievement using Nokia’s sixth-generation super-coherent Photonic Service Engine, PSE-6s, technology. The real-world field trial took place on a highly loaded commercial network spanning 2300 kilometers and successfully achieved an 800Gbps single wavelength international transmission without regeneration on a C+L band WDM infrastructure.
This field trial, conducted over similarly heavily-loaded links, demonstrated 700Gbps single wavelength transmission over 2500 kilometers and 600Gbps over 4100 kilometers, all without the need for regeneration. These trials, operating with traffic loads near 95% of the maximum WDM capacity, underscore the robustness and scalability of Nokia’s optical network solutions.
The primary goal of this trial was to eliminate the need for regeneration on routes between Turkey and Frankfurt while achieving significantly higher line rates than the current 200Gbps and 300Gbps standards. This enables Türk Telekom International to scale its existing network’s bandwidth more efficiently.
Nokia’s PSE-6s technology is designed to create more sustainable networks with enhanced power efficiency. By leveraging the latest 5-nanometer DSP silicon integrated circuits combined with silicon photonics, the PSE-6s reduces power-per-bit consumption by 40% compared to current coherent solutions. This improvement offers operators a more attractive Total Cost of Ownership while providing environmentally friendly solutions to their customers.
Zekeriya Erkan, Chief Technology Officer at TTI, stated, “Our main objective was to avoid regeneration between Turkey and Frankfurt with highly efficient lambdas for transporting aggregated 100GE and 400GE services. We validated that the PSE-6S-based transponder on our existing C+L infrastructure allowed us to exceed our goal, growing the wavelengths from 200/300Gbps to 600/700/800Gbps. This result enables us to scale the overall bandwidth on a brownfield network, offering more efficient services, reduced costs, and greener transport options to our customers.”
James Watt, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Optical at Nokia, added, “Faster, greener, more efficient. This new industry benchmark of 800Gbps over 2300 kilometers ticks all the boxes for organizations needing to transmit data at immense scale, over long distances, quickly, and with minimal energy use. In Türk Telekom, we have a partner ready to set high standards and help us push the limits of optical technology. It’s gratifying to reach this significant milestone together.”
Nokia’s Photonic Service Engine 6s (PSE-6s) is at the heart of this achievement. It is designed to meet the growing demand for higher bandwidth and sustainable networking solutions. By integrating advanced DSP silicon with silicon photonics, Nokia ensures that the PSE-6s delivers top-tier performance while maintaining power efficiency. This technology not only supports higher transmission rates but also reduces the environmental impact, aligning with global sustainability goals.
The collaboration between Nokia and TTI highlights the potential of advanced optical technologies in transforming telecommunications infrastructure. As networks continue to evolve, the ability to transmit data at higher rates over longer distances without regeneration will be crucial. This achievement sets a new standard for optical transmission, paving the way for more efficient and sustainable network operations.
