T-Systems and ADVA Optical Networking showcase the future of terabit networking

"The Terabit Demonstrator isn't simply about showcasing the future of our networks. It's about collaboration. It's about harnessing our strengths to see what's truly possible," said Eduard Beier, head, Terabit Demonstrator, T-Systems. "That's what's so special about the team at ADVA Optical Networking and their technology. They've developed an open optical networking solution that is so different to others on the market. This is especially true when you consider its transparency. It interoperates with other vendors' equipment in such a unique way. This is a key advantage in today's heterogeneous network infrastructures and especially in our testbed. ADVA Optical Networking was able to interoperate with a broad range of other vendors' technology without any need for special conversions."

The Terabit Demonstrator stretches over 1,000km of fiber, connecting high-performance computing centers in Dresden and Stuttgart, using T-Labs' SASER optical testbed. The demonstration's sheer capacity is matched by its incredible flexibility. T-Systems is using software-defined networking and virtualized network functions to show how programmability can be used in advanced networks. Such programmability is a major focus of the project in 2015. ADVA Optical Networking's transmission technology is the foundation here and its multi-vendor interoperability is a critical component. ADVA Optical Networking has specifically engineered its products to work transparently across other vendors' equipment without the need for any electronic conversion processing - something very few manufacturers are capable of. The implications of the Terabit Demonstrator, especially for research and education networks, are enormous and it outlines an exciting migration path ahead.

"What T-Systems has created with the Terabit Demonstrator is a beacon for the industry. It's a showcase that clearly highlights how we can migrate to a new era of networking," commented Stephan Neidlinger, vice president, strategic alliance management, ADVA Optical Networking. "The technological advancements on display here are enormous. Our products are just one example. We've pushed our 100Gbit/s coherent technology to a channel spacing that is 33% tighter than today's current standard. This means that we're increasing the capacity of existing fiber networks by 50%. Such a leap in spectral efficiency is no small task and the implications are significant. Our global engineering team has worked extensively with T-Systems to develop this breakthrough and to successfully deploy it in this terabit network."

"The future is defined in these experiments. It's these testbeds that offer a real glimpse into what possibilities lie ahead," noted Dr. Ralf-Peter Braun, head, SASER-Q3 project. "The Terabit Demonstrator incorporates much of the optical infrastructure of the SASER project. A project in itself aimed at developing secure transport networks for future generations. Partly funded by Germany's Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the SASER project uses a multi-vendor approach and this further underlines why ADVA Optical Networking's technology is so important. Its optical layer interoperability is vital, especially with the project's varied and changing cast of third-party optical transport systems. There's simply no other technology that can interoperate without any need for electronic conversion. This truly sets the multi-vendor approach including ADVA Optical Networking apart."