Deployment of 3.2Tb of scalable capacity over diverse fibre across the UK, enabling enhanced services for wholesale customers and bespoke network requirements
Openreach is deploying Ciena’s (NYSE:CIEN) Waveserver powered by WaveLogic 6 (WL6) 1.6Tb/s coherent technology into its Optical Spectrum Extended Access (OSEA) portfolio. Ciena’s technology will support Openreach’s wholesale customers with tailored network solutions serving specialist locations such as cable landing stations (CLS), access and backhaul services to Core intersect nodes and DCs. The deployment further strengthens Openreach’s ability to deliver scalable, high-capacity optical infrastructure to the UK wholesale market, through Ciena managed services.
The solution includes the deployment of 400G and 800G client traffic over dedicated 1.6Tb/s wavelengths, with a 2RU chassis supporting up to 32 x 400G services. This significantly expands the range of high-capacity services Openreach can offer. It also introduces national 800G services for the first time and creates a clear path to even faster services as customers’ needs grow.
The new technology gives wholesale customers more flexible, tailored options for services that need to carry very large amounts of data. Using Openreach’s extensive UK fibre network, customers can support:
- High-capacity connections between data centres
- Private cloud networks for businesses
- Connections between international cable landing stations and data centres
- More resilient connections using different fibre routes across the UK
- Extra capacity to support growth in cloud services, online content and international subsea traffic
“Demand for fast, reliable connectivity is growing rapidly. This investment shows how Openreach is strengthening its network to support wholesale customers across the UK,” said Nicolas Lemaitre, Openreach’s Director of Products. “By using Ciena’s Waveserver and WL6 technology, we’re preparing our services for the next wave of digital growth, including increasing demand from AI applications and Critical National Infrastructure.”
The deployment is part of Openreach’s continued investment in the UK’s digital infrastructure. By increasing the capacity of its optical network, Openreach is helping wholesale providers support the growth of cloud services, international subsea connections and data centres across the UK.
Ciena also provides specialist support to help Openreach deploy, proactively monitor and maintain its OSEA optical product. This long-standing partnership helps keep the network reliable and enables Openreach to introduce new services more quickly.
For more information about Openreach’s wholesale connectivity solutions, visit https://www.openreach.co.uk/cpportal/products/optical.
About Openreach
We’re the people who make the net work. Our wholesale broadband network – the UK’s largest – supports more than 680 service providers like BT, SKY, TalkTalk, Vodafone and Zen to provide broadband, TV, phone, data and mobile services to their customers. Any company can access our network through equal pricing, terms and conditions, and our team of around 24,000 people help deliver services to every community in the UK. Right now, we’re investing £15 billion to build a new, ultra-reliable, Full Fibre broadband network to 25 million homes and businesses by the end of 2026. Work is on track, with the Company intending to go even further - to as many as 30 million premises by early next decade - assuming conditions for investment remain supportive. We’ve already reached more than 23.5 million premises and we’re passing thousands more every week. And we're retraining thousands of our existing engineers to help build, connect and maintain the new network. Our new network will help Openreach and its customers to dramatically cut emissions, with research suggesting nationwide Full Fibre broadband could save 400 million commuter trips every year. We're also switching our commercial fleet - the UK's second largest - to zero emissions by 2031. We’re a wholly owned and independent subsidiary of the BT Group and for the year up to the end of March 2026, we reported revenues of £6.19bn. Find out more at www.openreach.com.
About Ciena
Ciena is the global leader in high-speed connectivity. We build the world’s most advanced networks to support exponential growth in bandwidth demand. By harnessing the power of our networking systems, interconnects, 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 or visit the Ciena website.
Note to Ciena Investors
You are encouraged to review the Investors section of our website, where we routinely post press releases, SEC filings, recent news, financial results, and other announcements. From time to time we exclusively post material information to this website along with other disclosure channels that we use. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that are based on our current expectations, forecasts, information and assumptions. These statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results or outcomes may differ materially from those stated or implied, because of risks and uncertainties, including those detailed in our most recent annual and quarterly reports filed with the SEC. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies and can be identified by words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "should," "will," and "would" or similar words. Ciena assumes no obligation to update the information included in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.