Ultra long haul solution offers up to 3000 Km distance without regeneration

UTRECHT, NETHERLANDS, MARCH 9 — Cisco today announced that SURFnet has completed a technology test of Cisco's 100G DWDM solution between the National Supercomputing Center, SARA, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, using the Cisco ONS 15454 M6 Multiservice Transport Platform. The Cisco system uses dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) to unite multiple optical carrier signals on a single optical fiber, leading to several benefits including increased fiber capacity.

SURFnet enables collaboration between researchers, teachers, and students in the Netherlands using information and computing technology and together with partners offers high speed communication services between leading innovation centers and universities in Europe and throughout the world.

The test involved introducing 100G single carrier optical interfaces into SURFnet's existing optical infrastructure made up of a combination of 10G, 40G and 100G wavelengths. Once connected, the Cisco 100G DWDM solution was quickly operational without any disruption to the existing network. This demonstration shows that SURFnet can utilize its existing infrastructure and help protect its network investment while supporting new 100G data services over the existing fiber infrastructure. Utilizing this type of 100G technology allows research and education networks such as SURFnet to use its existing 50GHz spectrum band more efficiently and provide cost-effective all-optical connectivity across international borders.

This demonstration is another example of SURFnet's commitment to technology that supports the rapid growth of new applications and services in the international NREN community. This evaluation also showcases Cisco's ability to offer 100 Gigabit technologies that meet the needs of the Next Generation Internet for core, edge, data center, and transport. 

Highlights/Key Facts

• Error-free transmission of a 100G alien wavelength using Cisco single carrier coherent optical technology was demonstrated between Amsterdam and Geneva across SURFnet's existing 1650km optical DWDM system.
• The Cisco 100G coherent DWDM solution allowed for re-utilization of the existing fiber infrastructure without any disruption while enabling new 100G data services.
• The Cisco ONS 15454 M6 platform can support 42 x 100G wavelengths in a single bay, nearly three times the density of competing solutions.
• The Cisco Visual Networking Index (VNI) Forecast, 2010-2015, projects that global Internet traffic will increase more than fourfold to 767 exabytes, or more than 3/4^th a Zettabyte, by 2015. This amount is 100 exabytes higher than the projected level in 2013, or an increase the equivalent of 10 times all the traffic traversing IP NGNs in 2008.

Quotes

• Roeland Nuijts, optical network architect, SURFnet

"This 100G alien wavelength demonstration is another important step in the future of international networking across geographical, technical and administrative borders. Being able to use high-bandwidth wavelengths over open transmission systems from different equipment vendors supports new approaches to networking. The use of all-optical alien wavelength 100G technology is what will enable cost-effective international research networking."

• Bill Gartner, vice president and general manager, Converged Optical and Routing Business Unit, Cisco

"Service providers around the globe see the need to get prepared for the next internet, including an increased demand for video, collaboration, and distributed computing and SURFnet is no exception. SURFnet's successful evaluation shows that Cisco is ready to deliver the network foundation for the Next Generation Internet."

Supporting Resources

• SURFnet
• Cisco
• Cisco Service Provider Solutions
• Cisco CRS Carrier Routing System
• Cisco Optical Solutions
• Cisco Visual Networking Index home page: http://www.cisco.com/go/vni
• Read the complete Cisco Visual Networking Index (VNI) Forecast, 2010-2015

About Surfnet

SURFnet is the National Research & Education Network (NREN) organization in The Netherlands. SURFnet develops and provides innovative services for education and research in the field of a hybrid network infrastructure, trusted identity and a pioneering collaboration environment. SURFnet provides access to these services to over one million users in higher education and research in The Netherlands. SURFnet is part of SURF, the collaborative organization for higher  education institutions and research institutes, which are together working on breakthrough innovations in ICT. More information can be found at www.surfnet.nl/en/.

About Cisco

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.

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Source: Cisco