Relying on next-generation hybrid Raman/erbium optical amplifiers along the Lyon-Marseille-Lyon link in France, tens of terabits per second (Tbps) were transported over 762 km (472 miles) on the Orange (formerly France Telecom; Paris, France) network, setting a transmission record. This full-scale multi-terabit transmission, which took place on the Orange optical fiber infrastructure of its operational network during a trial that lasted several weeks, is a world record, not only in terms of global data capacity transported (38.4 Tbps), but also in the transmission distance of 762 km.
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These new generation amplifiers were based on joint research and development between Ekinops and Keopsys (both in Lannion, France); Keopsys is a specialist in optical fiber amplifiers and lasers. Their combined expertise makes possible this low-cost, highly energy efficient and innovative technology for the modernization of traditional optical fiber networks.
"Ekinops is particularly proud of this technological achievement, which is the result of close collaboration with Orange," said Jean-Luc Pamart, VP engineering at Ekinops. For its part, "Keopsys demonstrates its technological capacity through the development and implementation of next generation fibered products that can be easily integrated into broadband communication platforms," said Marc Le Flohic, CEO of Keopsys. "The hybrid fiber amplifiers efficiently increase bandwidth of new optical transmission networks."
This field trial was carried out in the framework of the European CELTIC-Plus project SASER (SAfe European and Secure Routing).
Keopsys SA is a Keopsys group company based in France. They develop and manufacture systems and subsystems bundles (based lasers and optical amplifiers) for various applications: telecom, complete optronics systems for defense, sensors for LIDAR and wind sensing applications, and optical sensors for guided vehicles (cars, planes, boats). Keopsys is also strongly involved in the scientific research proposing fiber lasers and amplifiers with high beam quality.
Ekinops supplies optical transport equipment for telecommunications service providers and addresses metro, regional, and long-haul applications with a single integrated platform with key technology in 100G transport with a coherent line of products that comes in 1RU, 2RU or 7RU chassis. The Ekinops T-Chip (Transport-on-a-Chip) architecture allows rapid capacity increase for CWDM, DWDM, Ethernet, ESCON, Fibre Channel, SONET/SDH, and uncompressed video (HD-SDI, SD-SDI, ASI).
SOURCE: Ekinops; http://www.ekinops.net/en/press-releases/ekinops-enables-orange-to-set-record-in-optical-transmission