07 December 2022
Ray Hagen, global product line manager, ProLabs
Expansion in the access network is a major trend in the UK, and indeed globally. GPON type services are seeing a lot of growth, primarily driven by the pandemic; remote working, home-schooling, and other factors. Now that we’re post-pandemic, we’re seeing continued growth driven by governments investing in broadband infrastructure, which opens a whole new world of possibilities.
In the past, the majority of access network technologies were 10G optical signals. Now they’re being upgraded to 100G, a tenfold increase, or even 400G in some cases – it’s quite the change.
For us, 100G is the new 10G. 10G deployments typically feature a single optical line, P2P type technology, which is very flexible in how it could be deployed; up to 80km and at industrial temperatures. But with increased data rates, there are physical limitations. As a result, 100G is not nearly as flexible to deploy due to multiplexing which is the requirement for multiple optical lines on a single fiber.
Rolling out 400G is also complex. Different techniques are used to achieve 400G, like pulse amplitude modulation (PAM4) technology. Optical signals modulated with PAM4 are not backwards interoperable with legacy technology, or non-return to zero (NRZ). Careful planning is required on behalf of service providers and data centre operators to ensure comprehension on technology implementation.
At ProLabs, we spend a lot of time helping our customers understand amplifications and the complexities involved in 100G and 400G. In some cases, four 100G transceivers can be aggregated into a 400G port, but there’s also 100G NRZ transceivers which can’t be aggregated for 400G; that makes things more expensive for the customer, who must maintain different inventory points for different transceiver types.
Additionally, there have been considerable problems in acquiring equipment: many service providers and data centres have been waiting for more than a year to get their 400G equipment. However, things have started to settle, and clients are receiving shipment confirmations and can begin planning their rollouts.
The transition to 100G and 400G is unstoppable. Customers are migrating to 400G to meet the increased demand for bandwidth. The pandemic really set the stage for the streaming revolution in the sense that it is no longer a revolution; it is now simply a part of daily life. As a result, service providers must have enough bandwidth to support this, while data centre operators need to ensure their networks can handle such vast volumes.
Right now, there are two distinct 100G user groups: service providers and data centres. Enterprise networks aren’t quite there yet; in recent years, they’ve been hindered by out-of-office employees and have had to rely on upgrading their VPN concentrators to accommodate remote working. I believe that in 2023, we’ll see a greater return of working in office, which will change things for enterprise - we’ll probably see more investment in the local area network.
To date, data centres have been the primary application for 400G, which has been performing data centre interconnects over the last year. Going forward, we expect to see 400G being used from the core outward, on the data centre floor, where it will continue to aggregate 100G from individual cabinets and servers back to a 400G core. In 2023, core network service providers will most likely join data centres in deploying 400G. We also anticipate that 400G will be deployed for long haul networks and IT service providers in the coming year.
To help our customers in navigating these upgrades, we take on a consulting role, advising on the most cost-effective way to improve their network deployments. In recent years, inventory has been a significant barrier for those looking to upgrade their networks. At ProLabs, we always keep a large stock of inventory on hand; we can ship same-day or next-day, so that our customers don’t have to worry about it.
We offer transceiver-based solutions to the challenges faced in network upgrades. Our comprehensive line card includes both 100G and 400G transceivers for every network application. Everything from run rate 100G optics for short reach applications to 400G coherent optics used in transport applications.
Our approach has resulted to the launch of innovative products for specific network needs. For example, 100G over a single fibre, or a fully passive wavelength division multiplexing of 100G up to 40km and a EDFA and MUX in one package to transport 100G DWDM up to 120km over single mode fibre. We also assist our customers in navigating the migration from NRZ to PAM4. The shift to PAM4 is a generational change in networking that requires thoughtful planning to protect the life of existing network assets.
We are unique in how we go to market and provide a 100% lifetime warranty. In our labs in the UK and the US, we test every transceiver in its intended environment before it ships. That helps us maintain a very high level of quality, and we provide customers with a Data Traveler System™ (DTS) certificate, which shows how the transceiver tested before shipping.
100G is taking the place of 10G at many of our customers’ networks. In turn, that increased bandwidth is going to drive a need for 400G. We’re poised to provide validated, cost-effective solutions at every step.
