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Showing posts with the label ODUflex

Optical Transport Networks, Optical Containers, And Granular Layer 1 ODUflex Protocol

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Optical wavelengths are composed of fundamental building blocks known as optical container units. The industry has recognized that current wavelength transmission rates are too chunky or insufficiently granular. There are limited number of sizes with many customers struggling to justify the leap from 100G to the relatively new 400G standard. Or even the 10G to 100G leap. On the supplier side the limited size options of wavelengths can lead to stranded spectrum. For example, you might have enough spectrum for 5G or 150G or 650G. In all these cases the stranded capacity represents lost revenue in a cut throat, ferociously competitive wholesale market. In general network operators struggle to achieve their targeted rates of return on capital because they are selling quasi-homogeneous products in a market where price comparisons are easy and buyers have strong incentive to minimize costs.  The ODUflex standard was introduced in part to create wavelengths below the 2.5G level. The funda...

Southern Cross Subsea Cable Network Deploys Ciena's Granular Layer 1 Wavelength Product

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Southern Cross subsea cable system is implementing ODUflex, which is a relatively new ITU standard that allows granular Layer 1 bandwidth. No longer are we limited to 100G, 400G, and 800G for either subsea or terrestrial networks. Interestingly enough, Hauwei proposed the new standard and was its primary champion. All wavelengths consist of optical containers and ODUflex allows optical containers to be stacked at 1.25 Gps intervals. So you can lease 1.25 Gbps wavelength up to 400G in 1.25 Gbps increments. Note that port sizes are still 10G, 100G, 400G or 800G. So to access a 150G transmission rate the customer needs 400G intefaces. Ciena is one of the the vendors to implement ODUflex along with Hauwei. More details here: https://lnkd.in/dZvNbubc. It is worth noting that granular bandwidth is being implemented on the newer cables which Southern Cross owns like Next.  The commercial motivation is poor take up of 400G wavelengths. The only real customers for 400Gs are very big bandwi...