A milestone in Brazilian telecommunications has been reached with a record-breaking 1.6 Tb/s transmitted over a single wavelength with improved spectral efficiency. The achievement is the result of a collaboration between Eletronet and Ciena, leveraging Ciena’s WaveLogic 6 Extreme (WL6e) optical transponder over the Brazilian operator’s OPGW (Optical Ground Wire) network.

Eletronet holds a unique asset no other Brazilian operator possesses: an extensive OPGW fiber network — a superior technology that embeds optical fibers within power grid protection cables, ensuring unmatched stability and security. When this exclusive infrastructure is powered by the first coherent 1.6T solution — Ciena’s WL6e — the result is an unparalleled technical advantage.

This unique combination makes Eletronet capable of delivering the highest long-distance data transport capacity in Brazil, a feat that cannot be technically replicated by competitors lacking OPGW infrastructure.

Metropolitan Test Demonstrates 1.6 Tb/s Potential

The first test scenario was conducted on a Data Center Interconnect (DCI) network, along a 40 km stretch in the São Paulo metropolitan area, connecting Eletronet’s Granja Julieta Data Center to Equinix SP4.

Eletronet and Ciena achieved a historic milestone: 1.6 Tb/s over a single wavelength, establishing a new channel capacity record in Brazil — approximately 60% higher than the previous market standard of 1 Tb/s. The test ran parallel to live customer traffic on Eletronet’s photonic layer, which is based on Ciena’s 6500 Packet Optical platform, showcasing seamless integration with the existing infrastructure without service interruptions.

Long-Haul Test Proves Robustness with 1.2 Tb/s Over 1,500+ km

In the second scenario, the goal was to replicate the conditions over a long-haul backbone route. The test spanned more than 1,500 km between São Paulo (SP) and Porto Alegre (RS), using an express path with no regeneration and only one transponder at each end.

Leveraging the coherent optical technology of Ciena’s WL6e, the test achieved 1.2 Tb/s over a single wavelength transmitted through a flex-grid ROADM (Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer) network. This represents remarkable progress in both distance and the number of ROADMs — more than 15 along the route — while maintaining signal integrity and quality. This achievement places Brazil at the forefront of the global telecommunications landscape.

“This test is concrete proof that our OPGW network is ready to handle the market's most intense demands," says Cassio Lehmann, Eletronet's CRO. "By leveraging Ciena's WaveLogic 6 technology, we've achieved remarkable results—especially the 1.2 Tb/s transmission over 1,500+ kilometers, which truly showcases our unique infrastructure advantage. This confirms our protagonismo in high-speed optical service delivery in Brazil and enables ISPs, carriers, and hyperscalers to support their most demanding applications with the bandwidth and low latency they require.”

“The collaboration with Eletronet demonstrates the transformational power of WaveLogic 6 Extreme in high-performance networks,” says Fernando Capella, Ciena’s Regional Manager for CALA South. “This achievement significantly enhances Brazil’s data transmission infrastructure, meeting the country’s growing connectivity demands with unmatched performance in capacity and energy efficiency.”

Ongoing Modernization of Brazil’s Network

The adoption of WL6e marks another milestone in the ongoing collaboration between Eletronet and Ciena. In 2024, Eletronet completed the modernization of its entire fiber network in Brazil, fully equipped with Ciena gear. Beyond using the most advanced technology, this single-vendor approach guarantees uniform service quality across the Eletronet network, particularly in connection efficiency.

With this successful demonstration, Eletronet reaffirms its position as Brazil’s leading telecom infrastructure company — the only operator delivering the powerful combination of OPGW and WL6e technology. The company is now fully prepared to meet the escalating connectivity demands driven by digital evolution and the rise of artificial intelligence.

About Eletronet
Eletronet owns and operates a national fiber optic backbone based on OPGW (Optical Ground Wire) technology spanning 17,000 kilometers, with more than 170 Points of Presence (PoPs) across 18 Brazilian states, integrated with power utility infrastructure. Through this high-capacity, high-availability network, Eletronet delivers wholesale connectivity services with carrier-grade quality to Internet Service Providers (ISPs), carriers, Data Centers, and content delivery networks (CDNs). Learn more at: www.eletronet.com

About Ciena
Ciena is the global leader in high-speed connectivity. We build the world’s most adaptive networks to support exponential growth in bandwidth demand. By harnessing the power of our networking systems, components, automation software, and services, Ciena revolutionizes data transmission and network management. With unparalleled expertise and innovation, we empower our customers, partners, and communities to thrive in the AI era. For updates on Ciena, follow us on LinkedIn and X, or visit the Ciena Insights webpage and Ciena website.

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