40G/100G technology

Enabling the transport of high-speed Ethernet over optical networks is now a reality—thanks to Ciena. Ciena’s Adaptive Optical Engine vastly expands capacity without disrupting existing networks, providing the simplest upgrade from 10G to 40G or 100G. That’s game-changing.

Summary:
• Demand for high-bandwidth services driving need for 40G/100G
• Several groups working toward 40G/100G standardization
• Ciena's coherent 100G can be phased in alongside 10G and 40G networks without re-engineering

Recent news: TelstraClear Core Network Supports 100G for Ultra Fast Data Speeds (press release)

Why 40G/100G?
The networking landscape is shifting toward Ethernet-based infrastructures as demand for high-bandwidth services increases. As these demands increase exponentially, the current generation of 10 Gb/s networking will be rendered insufficient. Therefore, the industry is working to standardize 40G and 100G technologies to take advantage of greater scalability and a more efficient convergence of optical data rates.

Standards
In July 2006, in response to the communications industry’s need for increased bandwidth, the IEEE 802.3 Working Group created a High Speed Study Group (HSSG) to examine the need for next-generation bandwidth connectivity. In July 2007, the group approved a request for a Media Access Control rate of 100GbE for switch-to-switch applications, including point-to-point links between campuses. In December 2007, the P802.3ba task force was formed to commence development of both the 40GbE and 100GbE standards, and these standards were both ratified in June 2010.

In March 2007, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Study Group 15 (SG 15) approved extending the G.709 OTN standard to the next higher rate beyond the current 43 Gb/s, defined as an OTU-4. The rate and frame format specifications for the OTN signals were completed in December 2009; the ITU has defined that the OTU-4 line rate will be 112 Gb/s, which is optimal for carrying 1 x 100GbE

Transport requirements
To accommodate the low-revenue-per-bit data required by IP networks, networks must support 100 Gb/s high-speed connectivity to 100GbE communities at a very low cost. Network operators cannot afford to build new overlay networks, and are adopting a phased approach to add 100 Gb/s capacity seamlessly to networks, without re-engineering the network.

Ramping up to 100G

In July 2009, the OIF created a 100G Ultra Long Haul DWDM Framework document, proposing that 100G optical transmission be based on Dual Polarization Quadrature Phase Shift-Keying modulation and coherent detection, technology pioneered by Ciena with their 40G coherent solution available since mid-2008. In order to provide one consolidated direction to component vendors with the purpose of reducing 100G costs in the industry, the OIF also created a photonic integration project to specify both transmitter and receiver photonic modules for incorporation into 100G DWDM transceivers.

Leadership
Ciena applies its industry-leading expertise in 40/100 Gb/s transport to high-bandwidth networking. A charter member of the OIF Implementation Agreement project for 100G, Ciena also participates actively in the IEEE 802.3 committee for 100GbE and the ITU SG 15 for 100 Gb/s transport standards.

Ciena is committed to ensuring seamless in-service 100 Gb/s upgrades of existing networks to protect customer investments in current infrastructure and improve network capacity, using engineering rules similar to those employed in 10 Gb/s DWDM systems. All Ciena systems are designed to be scalable to 100 Gb/s, ensuring the systems will be capable of supporting ongoing, in-service bandwidth increases cost-effectively. Ciena’s 40G/100G solutions even work over fiber considered marginal for 10 Gb/s transmission, removing a significant cost barrier for service providers facing today’s constrained CAPEX budgets.
 
More than 50 service providers and operators worldwide rely on Ciena’s coherent 40G solutions to transport their critical traffic. And Ciena leads the industry in 100G experience and performance with well over 15 100G field trials and live 100G network deployments as of December 2009.