Alcatel-Lucent introduces new fiber optic tech

By Digital News Asia July 2, 2012

Commercial 400 gigabit-per-second chip for optical communications networks
Claims it is four times faster than today’s networks

Alcatel-Lucent introduces new fiber optic tech Alcatel-Lucent is introducing the Photonic Service Engine (PSE), a new chip for fiber optic networks that the company claims offers double the capacity and four times the speed of today’s networks.

Built on innovations from Bell Labs, the Alcatel-Lucent Photonic Service Engine supports 400 gigabit per second (400G) data transmission speeds on optical networks, Alcatel-Lucent said in a statement.

The unabated growth of broadband, mobile data and cloud-based services has presented a major challenge for service providers that need to find ways to keep costs in check while dramatically expanding the capacity of their networks, the company said.

The Photonic Service Engine will bring substantial improvements to 100G coherent optical networks, which are being deployed by operators today. The PSE also lays the foundation for the smooth migration to 400G networks in future.

The versatile 400G PSE chip can be deployed in a broad range of network configurations – from metro to regional to ultra-long haul – and transmit wavelengths over existing or new photonic lines, Alcatel-Lucent said.

It is designed specifically for use in a family of line cards in the industry-leading Alcatel-Lucent 1830 Photonic Service Switch (PSS), used today in over 120 networks around the world. It enables more than 23 terabits of traffic to be transmitted along a single optical fiber and further enhances performance by more than 50%, while reducing power consumed per gigabit by a third, the company claimed.

James Watt, president of Alcatel-Lucent’s Optics Division, said: “From the start we correctly identified the challenges presented by 100G transport, applied the correct technology solution and commercialized it, a decision supported by the deployment of our solution with more than 55 customers worldwide.

“The introduction of the Alcatel-Lucent 400G Photonic Service Engine is the latest example of how we are continuing to develop leading technology and leverage innovations from Bell Labs to redefine ‘state-of-the-art’ in optical networking and keep our customers ahead of the game.”