Arelion and Infinera Set New Benchmark for 400G ZR+ Deployments in Live Network Field Trial

SAN JOSE, Calif., and STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Infinera (NASDAQ: INFN) and Arelion announced today a record-setting transmission of 400 gigabits per second (400 Gb/s) wavelengths using a QSFP-DD pluggable coherent transceiver over 1,800 kilometers (km) of SMF-28 fiber in a live production network. This milestone in point-to-point optical networking was achieved by leveraging Infinera’s ICE-X 400G ZR+ intelligent pluggable coherent transceiver across Arelion’s production transmission network on routes between Dallas, Memphis, and Chattanooga.

In addition to the record-setting performance at 400 Gb/s, the field trial demonstrated the powerful programmability of Infinera’s ICE-X intelligent pluggable coherent solution. By adjusting the modulation of the optical signal in the same pluggable coherent solution, the companies also demonstrated long-distance performance at 300 Gb/s and 200 Gb/s using a QSFP-DD pluggable. These achievements were made possible by leveraging Arelion’s open and disaggregated networking approach over its live network with concurrently deployed wavelengths, including those of third-party solution providers. Disaggregation will enable Arelion to continue to integrate the latest optical pluggable components to dynamically scale its network and provide its customers with cost-efficient, high-capacity bandwidth services over long distances.

“We are pleased to once again partner with Infinera,” said Georgios Tologlou, Senior Network Architect at Arelion. “We were early investors in optical pluggable components to drive demonstrable value and cost-efficiency for our customers. Lab trials with perfect fiber are one thing. But we are not afraid to test these pluggables in live networks over the same fiber we’re using for live traffic, so we were happy to demonstrate the real-world potential of Infinera’s new coherent pluggable technology when implemented through Arelion’s open and disaggregated network architecture.”

“Through collaboration with Arelion, this record-breaking achievement represents a significant milestone in the evolution of coherent optical solutions,” said Tom Burns, General Manager of the Optical Modules and Coherent Solutions Group at Infinera. “The trial demonstrates the level of performance that can be achieved in a QSFP-DD form factor powered by Infinera’s ICE-X technology and coupled with the power of open optical networking principles applied in Arelion’s live network.”