Reliable performance for any distance
Seamless connectivity and scalability across data centers
Optimize efficiencies and monetization opportunities
The challenge
AI-driven growth is reshaping the data center landscape. Exploding GPU-driven compute and energy demands require distributing AI clusters across multiple sites and building new facilities where space and power are cost-efficient. At the same time, cloud and AI providers need fast turn-up of high-speed connectivity between data centers to accelerate monetization and reduce time to market (TTM).
Our approach
With continued R&D investments, we deliver leading innovation across coherent optics and photonic line systems. Our highly automated, scalable transport solutions efficiently connect data centers across any distance—optimizing performance, power use, and space. Our solutions can be tailored to your unique needs to successfully and reliably address diverse data center interconnect (DCI) applications.
The benefits
By accelerating access to high-performance connectivity with advanced DCI solutions, you can more quickly bring AI-driven products and services to market with speed and confidence. Pave the path to success by maximizing capacity across fiber assets while deploying networks and scaling with ease.
Data center connectivity—from 10 km to 10,000+ km
Metro DCI
Extend data center fabric with 400ZR/800ZR coherent pluggable transceivers and intelligent line systems designed for simple volume deployments.
Campus DCI
Bring new levels of scale and flexibility to data center campus applications with power- and latency-optimized
Coherent-Lite Pluggable Transceivers.
Scale across
Enable distributed AI training with highly resilient, ultra-low-power C&L-band coherent pluggables and diversely routed line systems designed to intra-data center specifications.
Backbone
Meet growing demand and seamlessly connect across vast distances with unmatched scalability, efficiency, and reliability using leading coherent optics and line system innovation.
Submarine
Optimize capacity and performance of existing cable infrastructure with the industry’s only 1.6 Tb/s technology, providing ubiquitous 800G connectivity, even across transpacific distances.
ABI Research ranks Ciena #1 in OLS for DCI scale-across
ABI Research ranks Ciena #1 in open line systems (OLS) for data center interconnect (DCI) scale-across applications. See how Ciena combines its leadership in optical innovation, proven RLS technology, and purpose-built RLS Hyper-Rail to meet the growing density, scale, and efficiency demands of AI-driven DCI.
DCI technology and services
WaveLogic 6 coherent optics
Ubiquitous 400G/800G connectivity and 1.6 Tb/s networking deliver the next leap forward in network scale, economics, and power efficiencies.
WaveLogic 5 Nano pluggables
Ultra-low-power 400 Gb/s pluggables deliver agile, high-capacity connectivity that simplifies networking and speeds TTM.
Waveserver
Stackable interconnect platforms deliver more capacity and lower power for bandwidth-intensive applications, providing massive scale for cloud and data services.
6500 Reconfigurable Line System
A compact, simple-to-deploy photonic layer solution improves scalability, reduces footprint, and offers more capacity per fiber, faster.
Navigator Network Control Suite
Get a single point of control to visualize and optimize multi-layer, multi-vendor network operations—reducing costs and improving customer satisfaction.
Ciena Services
We harness our expertise to help you build, operate, and improve your network and achieve your business objectives.
Insights
Video
Scale Across: The Network Behind Distributed AI Training
Hear Ciena’s Spencer Giacalone explain Near and Far Scale Across architectures, why highly parallel coherent capacity is foundational to distributed AI, and how Ciena’s WaveLogic 6 Nano 800G coherent pluggables and RLS—including Hyper-Rail—are built to address this rapidly emerging networking challenge.
WatchBlog
What is scale across? The optical innovations enabling a new AI architecture
As AI training scales beyond the limits of a single data center, a new architectural model is emerging: scale across. In this blog, Brodie Gage explores how distributed AI training is reshaping optical infrastructure—and details how Ciena is advancing the coherent and photonic innovations powering regional and multi-regional scale across applications.
ReadVideo
WaveLogic 6 Nano: Scaling 800G pluggable connectivity
In this video, discover how WL6n supports interoperable 800ZR for metro DCI and 800G ZR+ connectivity up to 1,000 kilometers, with extended reach at 600G. You’ll also learn how higher-performance modes extend 800G pluggable connectivity across more network links.
WatchBlog
Ciena and Meta achieve world record 800 Gb/s across 16,608 km on transpacific submarine cable
As AI-driven demand accelerates, Ciena and Meta have set a new world record — achieving unregenerated single carrier 800 Gb/s across a transpacific submarine cable spanning 16,608 kilometers from Singapore to California. Powered by Ciena’s WaveLogic 6 Extreme coherent optics, this milestone redefines capacity, efficiency, and sustainable global connectivity at a global scale.
ReadOur customers
Related resources
White Paper
AI Inferencing and the Evolution of On-Demand Optical Networks
Explore Omdia 2026 survey findings on how AI inferencing is driving demand for high-bandwidth optical services and on-demand connectivity.
Download
Video
RLS Hyper-Rail: Scaling Optical Networks for the AI Era
In this video, we explain what RLS Hyper-Rail is, why it matters, and how it enables the next generation of AI connectivity.
WatcheBook
Accelerating AI Growth: Optical Networking Breakthroughs for Neoscalers
Power AI-scale growth with optical networking built for neoscalers. Explore the breakthroughs enabling high capacity, low latency, and efficient operationalization.
Download
Blog
Optical networks: Powering AI innovation for neoscalers
Neoscalers are rising as a new class of network operators—at the forefront of the AI revolution with unique challenges and opportunities. In this blog, Brodie Gage shares how Ciena’s optical innovations and services help them scale, innovate, and lead.
Read
Blog
AI is rewriting the rules of networking: What it means for all operators
AI is redefining the way operators of all kinds design, scale, and operate their networks. Ciena’s Brodie Gage explores how optical innovation and autonomous operations are enabling the global network fabric for the AI era.
Read