Nokia, Windstream, and Colt have completed an 800 Gigabit Ethernet (800GbE) trial spanning 8,500km between London and Chicago.
The trial, which connected two of the world’s largest financial trading hubs, showcased power-saving networking technologies from the three global tech firms. It pushed the boundaries of next-generation wavelength, capacity, speed, and latency across a subsea and terrestrial route.
Colt’s transatlantic subsea cable and terrestrial fibre optic network were linked with Windstream Wholesale’s low-latency US optical fibre Intelligent Converged Optical Network (ICON) to monitor speed and performance. This collaboration demonstrated the world’s first transoceanic 800GbE end-to-end service transport from router to router over 1Tbps optical transport.
Nokia’s sixth-generation Photonic Service Engine (PSE-6s) coherent optics and 7750 Service Router (SR) high-performance routing platforms were instrumental in the trial’s success. These technologies boosted internet service speeds and supported ultra-high wavelength capacity while maintaining power efficiency.
The 800G breakthrough doubles capacity, marking a significant advancement in service bandwidth. This development is crucial for supporting advanced network applications such as AI data centre networking, content delivery networks, and financial data hub connections.
Buddy Bayer, COO of Colt Technology Services, commented: “Pushing the boundaries of technology innovation is a fundamental part of our customer commitment: it means we stay a step ahead of the market, so we’re ready when our customers ask, ‘What’s next for us?'”
The successful trial has opened up new possibilities for global connectivity. The three organisations are now exploring options to bring 800GbE connectivity services to market for global business customers, potentially revolutionising cross-continental subsea and terrestrial communications.
Joe Scattareggia, President of Windstream Wholesale, hailed the trial as a “true game-changer for global connectivity”. He added, “By partnering with two extraordinary leaders in the industry, we’re enabling unprecedented bandwidth capabilities that are essential for driving AI-powered applications worldwide for our customers.”
This breakthrough comes at a time when demand for high-capacity, low-latency connections is surging, driven by the rapid growth of data-intensive applications and the increasing reliance on cloud services. The ability to transmit data at such high speeds across vast distances could have far-reaching implications for industries ranging from finance to healthcare and beyond.
As businesses continue to digitalise and expand their global operations, the need for robust, high-speed connectivity becomes ever more critical. This successful trial by Nokia, Windstream, and Colt demonstrates that the technology to meet these demands is not only possible but potentially within reach for commercial applications in the near future.
“Such an ambitious project – to link two of the world’s most important financial hubs – sets the bar very high for network capacity, speed, security, and reliability,” concludes Federico Guillén, President of Network Infrastructure at Nokia.
See also: Nokia and ZCorum streamline cable operators’ fibre transition
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