KT deploys Infinera for Korea nationwide backbone

KT, South Korea’s largest telecom company, has deployed the Infinera 7300 Series Multi-haul Transport Platform in its national backbone network to support a nationwide rollout of 5G services.

Infinera said its 7300 platform was selected to provide a scalable core network solution optimized for the performance requirements of bandwidth-intensive end-user services such as 5G. Infinera’s solution for KT includes support for secure and reliable 200G transmission across KT’s nationwide core infrastructure. The 7300 coherent packet optical transport system offers a compelling pay-as-you-grow approach to network scaling. This model benefits KT by lowering initial costs, reducing equipment sparing costs, and providing the foundation for cost-effective scalability.

“Infinera’s advanced optical solutions enable KT to efficiently use its fiber and optimize the transmission of optical channels, lowering the total cost of network ownership, and helps KT maintain its global leadership in 5G,” said Nick Walden, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales at Infinera. “With Infinera’s innovative solutions, operators like KT pave the way for an agile and scalable infrastructure to support significant increases in bandwidth.”

Infinera's local partner for the project was Daesung Infotech.

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Brazil's Vogel Telecom deploys Infinera’s Groove (GX)

Vogel Telecom, a leading wholesale carrier in Brazil, deployed Infinera’s Groove (GX) Series G30 Compact Modular Platform to double capacity on its network, which includes Brazil’s route with the highest bandwidth demand, between São Paulo and Belo Horizonte.

Vogel Telecom deployed Infinera’s compact modular solution to upgrade its national fiber network infrastructure, which spans over 26,000 kilometers and supports high-capacity connectivity services across more than 600 cities in 13 Brazilian states.

“Infinera’s solutions enabled us to quickly enhance our network to deliver higher bandwidth capacity to meet the needs of our customers during the pandemic,” said Daniel Cardoso, Vogel Telecom COO. “The COVID-19 pandemic caused businesses and families to adapt to the changing environment, which contributed to a significant spike in bandwidth needs for Brazil’s largest internet service providers. Infinera responded quickly to our needs and provided the right solutions to scale our network. Deploying Infinera’s compact modular solution will also provide Vogel with the ability to seamlessly evolve our network to higher bandwidth capacity with Infinera’s ICE6 technology in the future.”

“Wholesale carriers like Vogel are experiencing unprecedented growth in network capacity requirements from service provider customers due to the increased use of bandwidth stemming from the rise in remote workers and distance learning,” said Alexandre Salomao, Infinera Country Manager for Brazil. “The deployment with Vogel underscores the ease of deploying Infinera’s solutions while quickly and cost-effectively helping our customers scale their bandwidth to keep pace with increasing bandwidth demands.”

https://www.infinera.com/

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Infinera posts Q2 revenue of $331.6 million, up 8% YOY

Infinera reported Q2 GAAP revenue of $331.6 million compared to $330.3 million in the first quarter of 2020 and $296.3 million in the second quarter of 2019.

GAAP gross margin for the quarter was 29.4% compared to 23.3% in the first quarter of 2020 and 20.7% in the second quarter of 2019. GAAP net loss for the quarter was $(61.6) million, or $(0.33) per share, compared to $(99.3) million, or $(0.55) per share, in the first quarter of 2020, and $(113.7) million, or $(0.64) per share, in the second quarter of 2019. Non-GAAP net loss for the quarter was $(17.2) million, or $(0.09) per share, compared to a net loss of $(49.4) million, or $(0.27) per share, in the first quarter of 2020, and net loss of $(42.0) million, or $(0.24) per share, in the second quarter of 2019.

The company said it has 5 new 600G customers (16 total), including 1 major ICP. Infinera also noted that it is pleased with the result of field trials of its ICE6 (800G) technology, which is
on track for delivery this year.

“I am pleased with our execution in the quarter from a financial, operational and technical perspective, making advances on all fronts. We are managing the operational impacts of COVID-19 and are continuing to take the necessary measures to reduce costs and improve working capital utilization as macroeconomic uncertainty in our industry continues,” said Tom Fallon, Infinera CEO. "Importantly, I am encouraged by the opportunity we believe will be created by our ICE6 solution as the industry readies for a new technology cycle driven by ever increasing demand for bandwidth.”

https://investors.infinera.com/presentations/default.aspx

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Infinera announces CEO transition

Infinera announced that Tom Fallon will step down as CEO before the end of 2020, to be replaced by David Heard, who currently serves as Infinera's Chief Operating Officer.

Fallon, in his 17th year with Infinera and 11th as CEO, will remain on the Board of Directors.

“I couldn’t be more pleased with the Board’s selection of David as Infinera’s next CEO and I have the utmost confidence in his ability to successfully lead the company in its next phase of growth,” said Mr. Fallon, Infinera CEO. “When David joined Infinera three years ago, our objective was to bring onboard a Chief Operating Officer who would be positioned to take over as CEO at the right time. David’s contributions since joining the company have been substantial, making us more scalable as he led us through a major acquisition, driving synergies through operational improvements, aligning our product and service portfolio and focusing our investments on the highest value areas for our customers and shareholders.”

Heard has served as Infinera’s COO since October 2018. Previously, he has served in executive leadership at JDS Uniphase, BigBand Networks (now part of CommScope), Somera (now part of Jabil), Tekelec (now part of Oracle), and Lucent Technologies (now part of Nokia). He holds an M.B.A. from the University of Dayton, an M.S. in management from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he was a Sloan Fellow, and a B.A. in production and operations management from Ohio State University.

Infinera is also announcing that Kambiz Hooshmand will be stepping down as Chairman of the Board on the same date as the CEO transition, while remaining on the Board. Mr. Hooshmand has served as Chairman since October 2010. George Riedel, a current member of the Board, will succeed Mr. Hooshmand as Chairman.

“Together with the entire Board, I want to thank Kambiz sincerely for his longstanding and dedicated commitment and service to Infinera,” said Tom Fallon. “We are very fortunate to have someone of George’s industry experience, knowledge and strategic leadership abilities step into the Chairman role and partner with David as he assumes the CEO mantle later this year. These succession changes have been thoughtfully planned and we anticipate a smooth transition. I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity to serve as CEO over the past decade and I look forward to helping Infinera in the next phase of our journey.”

https://www.infinera.com/newsroom

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Orange boosts capacity on MainOne Submarine Cable with Infinera

Orange deployed spectrum capacity with Infinera’s submarine solution on its MainOne submarine cable, a next-generation, 7,000-kilometer submarine cable that connects Portugal, Senegal, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria and serves as the West African backbone network for Orange’s international connectivity in Africa.

Orange is using Infinera's XTS-3600 platform, based on Infinera’s fourth-generation Infinite Capacity Engine (ICE4), to significantly increase its regional capacity as well as improve the resilience of its submarine cables.

Infinera’s ICE4 technology leverages the unique features of the company's optical engine, which include Nyquist subcarriers, forward error correction gain sharing, and photonic integrated circuit-based technology. Infinera’s Instant Bandwidth enables ease of scalability and incremental capacity addition as needed within minutes, without requiring additional work on submarine infrastructure, providing a distinct advantage that operators can pass along to end-user customers.

“This deployment with Orange reinforces our ability to consistently deliver the highest performance in terms of submarine capacity and reach with our industry-leading Infinite Capacity Engine technology,” said Nick Walden, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales at Infinera. “We remain committed to helping our customers cost-effectively keep pace with demand while lowering total cost of ownership.”

Orange to assemble West African backbone

Thursday, November 14, 2019  Orange, Subsea  

Orange will assemble a new international backbone serving West Africa by building a terrestrial fiber optic network coupled with submarine cables.

Orange said its new network will provide large-scale international capacity to the rest of the world via connections with other submarine cables. The new network will link up all the main capital cities in the region: Dakar, Bamako, Abidjan, Accra, and Lagos. Commercial launch of the West African backbone is planned for the second quarter of 2020.

Alioune Ndiaye, CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa, said: “For Orange, this West African backbone network represents a major investment that will secure availability of international connectivity and will enable us to meet the demand for increased bandwidth necessary for the continued digital development of regions within the zone.”

Jérôme Barré, CEO of Orange Wholesale and International Networks, said: “Through this project, Orange is clearly demonstrating its leadership and expertise in the design, deployment and operation of international network infrastructure. We are delighted to be able to offer our West African customers’ reliable, secure and high-quality international connectivity that connects them to the rest of the world.”

Orange is an investor in the MainOne submarine cable connecting Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire to Europe.

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Verizon tests 800G long-haul with Infinera

Verizon successfully carried an 800 Gbps wavelength over its live, long-haul fiber network using equipment from Infinera.

The trial was conducted over Verizon’s live production network with a combination of industry standard fibers. The trial used Infinera’s fifth-generation coherent optical technology, ICE6 (Infinite Capacity Engine), equipped in a GX Series platform and marked the following significant industry achievements:

• 800 Gbps single-wavelength transmission over 667 km between Nashville and Atlanta
• 600 Gbps single-wavelength transmission over 2,283 km from Atlanta to Memphis with a loop back in Memphis
• 400 Gbps single-wavelength transmission over 4,091 km from Atlanta to Dallas with a loop back in Dallas

“Verizon continually pursues the latest technology to provide high-speed, reliable transport solutions while meeting demanding network requirements,” said Parthiban Kandappan, chief technology officer at Infinera. “With Infinera’s ICE6 technology, Verizon successfully transmitted high-speed optical signals across substantial distances over all network fiber types. This industry-leading optical innovation coupled with flexible configurations provides a single transmission solution that enables both 800 Gbps over large portions of the network and cross-continental transmission at 400 Gbps.”

“With the evolution into more robust 5G applications and solutions, the ability to move massive amounts of data across long distances becomes even more crucial,” said Kevin Smith, Vice President of Technology Planning and Development for Verizon. “Continuing to advance the capabilities of our extensive fiber network alongside advancements in 5G technology, the Radio Access Network, and the network core will result in an unparalleled network experience for our consumer and enterprise customers.”

https://www.verizon.com/about/news/verizon-long-haul-data-session

Verizon carries 800 Gbps wavelength

Sunday, March 01, 2020  800G, Ciena, Juniper, Verizon  

Verizon reported the transmission of 800 Gbps of data on a single wavelength over its live network.

The test showed equipment interoperability from two different suppliers and the capability to quadruple the typical capacity carried on a wavelength. The test traffic was transmitted between two Juniper Networks QFX 5220 packet platforms across two Ciena 6500 platforms powered by WaveLogic 5 Extreme (WL5e) coherent optics.

Verizon said the use of this new coherent optics and equipment from Ciena and Juniper demonstrates the evolution to a more software-driven and automated network with tunable capacity from 200Gbps to 800Gbps per wavelength.\

“In the past, we needed to combine multiple wavelengths to achieve 800 Gbps capacity,” said Kevin N. Smith, Vice President of Technology and Planning for Verizon. “Now, with the new optics configuration from Ciena and Juniper Networks on our fiber network, we are advancing our connecting layer of fiber to prepare for the explosion of data we know will come along with 5G’s transformational impact on industries and consumers. And being the only provider in the industry with that capacity on a single wavelength allows us to deliver the service at a much lower cost per bit.”

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GÉANT picks Infinera's 600G for pan-European backbone

GÉANT will deploy Infinera’s 600G per wavelength transmission technology on its next-generation pan-European network, which interconnects Europe’s National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) and supports over 50 million users at 10,000 institutions across the continent.

GÉANT is undertaking the most significant refresh of its network in a decade as part of a major EU-funded project designed to support the needs of Europe’s research and education community for the next 15 years. The upgrade uses Infinera’s Groove (GX) Series Compact Modular Platform, FlexILS Open Optical Line System, and professional services.

“The success of the GÉANT (GN4-3N) project is essential for Europe’s research and education communities and will ensure GÉANT and our NREN partners continue to enable scientific discoveries, remote learning for millions of students, and the realization of open science,” said Erik Huizer, Chief Executive Officer, GÉANT. “Infinera continues to be one of our trusted technology partners and we value their expertise in deploying optical networks and providing the best solutions to meet and exceed our extremely demanding requirements.”

“We are excited to partner with GÉANT to meet some of the most stringent network requirements for high-capacity research and education networks,” said Nick Walden, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales at Infinera. “GÉANT provides network and collaboration services that facilitate important international cooperation between researchers and educators, and we are proud to support their efforts with cutting-edge optical technology that delivers what they need and provides peace of mind.”

https://www.geant.org/
http://www.infinera.com

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Windstream carries 800G wavelength over 730km using Infinera

Windstream successfully achieved 800 Gbps single-wavelength transmission over 730 kilometers across its long-haul network between San Diego and Phoenix. The test used Infinera’s fifth-generation coherent optical technology, ICE6 (Infinite Capacity Engine), equipped in a Groove (GX) Series platform over industry-standard G.652-compliant SMF-28 fiber. By looping back the signal, the test also achieved a 700G transmission over 1,460 km.

The record performance was enabled by advances in Nyquist subcarriers, a pioneering innovation developed by Infinera’s Optical Innovation Center (OIC). Nyquist subcarrier-based solutions map the traffic into tightly packed, lower-baud-rate digital subcarriers within a single optical carrier. Infinera says subcarriers also amplify the benefits of its other OIC innovation, such as 64QAM long-codeword probabilistic constellation shaping and dynamic bandwidth allocation.

The companies said the trial demonstrates that ultra-high-speed optical transmissions, such as 700G and 800G, can be deployed in real-world network applications over significant distances. This will enable emerging 400 Gigabit Ethernet (400 GbE) services to be supported over longer distances within the Windstream national network. High-performance, high-speed transmission will also enable network operators like Windstream to realize increased efficiency in cost per bit and power per bit, as well as increased capacity per fiber by as much as 70 percent compared to third-generation (400G) coherent technology and by as much as 35 percent compared to fourth-generation (600G) coherent technology.

“Windstream remains committed to staying at the forefront of technological innovation and the superior performance of ICE6 brings real-world value to our network and enables us to meet the explosive growth in bandwidth demands of our customers,” said Buddy Bayer, chief network officer at Windstream. “The flexibility of ICE6 coupled with the easily deployable compact modular form factor of the GX Series will enable Windstream to quickly and easily introduce this new technology across our entire network from edge to core.”

“Infinera is delighted to set this new industry benchmark and partner with Windstream, a network operator that continually pushes the boundaries of optical networking,” said Parthiban Kandappan, chief technology officer at Infinera. “As proven by the superior performance of this network trial, we believe our unique expertise with Nyquist subcarriers coupled with the groundbreaking innovations introduced by ICE6 will represent the standard for high-speed optical engines going forward.”

Windstream tests 400GbE QSFP-DD customers interfaces

Tuesday, April 07, 2020  400G, Infinera, Windstream  

Windstream Wholesale and Infinera demonstrated 400GbE client-side services with commercially available ultra-efficient 400GbE-LR8 QSFP-DD compact pluggable interfaces.

The trial leveraged Infinera’s commercially available 2x 600G Wavelength muxponder on its Groove (GX) G30 Compact Modular Platform with the CHM-2T sled, which enabled the customer-facing 400GbE service to be transmitted using a single-carrier 600G wavelength.

Windstream Wholesale said it is currently engaging with customers for initial deployment of the end-to-end 400G Wave service.

“We’re excited to partner with Windstream and leverage the power and flexibility of our 600G Wavelength technology to deliver enhanced high-speed services,” said Glenn Laxdal, SVP, GM of Product Management, Infinera. “The ability to support 400GbE services with a wide-variety of client interfaces and to carry those services across metro, regional and long-haul distances enables Windstream to seamlessly support their customers’ evolving connectivity needs.”


https://www.windstreamenterprise.com/wholesale/interactive-map

Infinera evolves its Groove optical transport with 2 x 800G transponder sled

Wednesday, April 01, 2020  800G, Infinera  

Infinera announced the expansion of its Groove (GX) Series of open, compact, and modular transport solutions with the adoption of a sled-based architecture and support for its sixth-generation Infinite Capacity Engine (ICE6) technology. The platform's evolution includes carrier-grade features, high-density chassis, and a wide variety of advanced sled capabilities.

“These advances represent the continuation of Infinera’s vision to bring open, modular, cost-effective solutions to our customers,” said Glenn Laxdal, Infinera Senior Vice President, Product Management. “Infinera pioneered the compact modular transport platform with the Cloud Xpress for internet content providers, significantly advanced its compact modular portfolio with the industry’s first sled-based architecture with the GX G30, and is now leading the market once again with this evolution of the GX Series.”

The expanded GX Series of compact modular solutions adds improved scalability and carrier-grade features to modern data center-style networking approaches with chassis options that streamline and accelerate large-scale deployments in a wide variety of data center and traditional service provider networks. These features include NEBS Level 3 compliance, field-replaceable redundant controllers, both A/C and D/C power supplies, enhanced security, 300-millimeter (mm) and 600-mm ETSI-compliant shelf variants, and multi-chassis single-element configurations. Additionally, the expansion adds a variety of new sled-based options:

The ICE6-powered CHM6 sled – an industry-leading 2 x 800G transponder sled
Flexible aggregation sleds – a suite of metro-optimized sleds for multi-service aggregation
Advanced open line system sleds – including low- and high-degree ROADMs with colorless/directionless/contentionless add/drop architectures and low-cost FOADMs, enabling support for most networks

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AAE-1 subsea cable doubles capacity with Infinera

The Asia-Africa-Europe-1 Consortium (AAE-1), which operates one of the largest subsea cable systems in the world, recently completed a significant upgrade with Infinera.

 The upgrade, which is based on Infinera’s fourth-generation Infinite Capacity Engine (ICE4) technology and Instant Bandwidth capability, enabled AAE-1 to double the capacity on its intercontinental network while reducing total cost of ownership and increasing service agility and network reliability.

 AAE-1’s cable system spans 25,000 kilometers of subsea and terrestrial network. The AAE-1 cable system terminates at two points of presence in Singapore and is the only next-generation cable that continues further into Asia through diverse terrestrial routes across Thailand, providing connectivity to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Hong Kong. This unique routing enables AAE-1 to deliver one of the lowest-latency routes between Hong Kong, India, the Middle East, and Europe.

 “AAE-1 is an important subsea cable asset for carriers globally, with bandwidth needs growing rapidly, particularly during this very difficult and deeply sad global crisis. After a rigorous evaluation, we selected Infinera for its superior reach, optical transmission performance, and reliability,” explained Mr. Loucas Balis, Chairman, AAE-1 Management Committee.

 “When selecting a solution for AAE-1, it was critical to select a vendor with a seamless scalable solution for the entire network, with great economics,” Giuseppe Sini, Vice Chairman, AAE-1 Management Committee added. “Infinera gave AAE-1 the ability to activate capacity quickly and really differentiate our services. Infinera has been an excellent choice.”

 “We are pleased to support AAE-1’s network upgrade, delivering the benefits of Infinera’s photonic integrated circuit-based ICE4 solution, featuring industry-leading spectral efficiency, Nyquist subcarriers, SD-FEC gain sharing, and Smart Optimize. The deployed solution also delivered extended C-band open line system terrestrial crossings that are expandable in-service to L-band,” said Nick Walden, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales at Infinera.


https://www.aaeone.com/aaeportal/

http://www.infinera.com

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Infinera posts Q1 revenue of $330 million, up 12% YoY

Infinera reported Q1 2020 GAAP revenue of $330.3 million, compared to $384.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2019 and $292.7 million in the first quarter of 2019.

GAAP gross margin for the quarter was 23.3% compared to 29.0% in the fourth quarter of 2019 and 22.7% in the first quarter of 2019. GAAP operating margin for the quarter was (23.3)% compared to (15.8)% in the fourth quarter of 2019 and (38.2)% in the first quarter of 2019.

GAAP net loss for the quarter was $(99.3) million, or $(0.55) per share, compared to $(66.6) million, or $(0.37) per share, in the fourth quarter of 2019, and $(121.6) million, or $(0.69) per share, in the first quarter of 2019. Non-GAAP net loss for the quarter was $(49.4) million, or $(0.27) per share, compared to a net income of $6.4 million, or $0.03 per share, in the fourth quarter of 2019, and net loss of $(41.2) million, or $(0.23) per share, in the first quarter of 2019.

“While facing impacts associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, we continued to service our customers and deliver year-over-year growth in revenue and orders during the quarter,” said Tom Fallon, Infinera CEO. “While the macro-economic environment creates visibility challenges for the second half of the year, we are on track for ICE6 delivery this year and remain very optimistic about the opportunity we see for Infinera in the medium and long term, driven by our truly differentiated performance in the fast-growing high-capacity optical market.”

Infinera's outlook for the quarter ending June 27, 2020 includes:

• GAAP revenue is expected to be $319 million +/- $10 million. Non-GAAP revenue is expected to be $320 million +/- $10 million.
• GAAP gross margin is expected to be 29% +/- 200 bps. Non-GAAP gross margin is expected to be 33% +/- 200 bps.

https://investors.infinera.com/home/default.aspx

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Windstream tests 400GbE QSFP-DD customers interfaces with Infinera

Windstream Wholesale and Infinera demonstrated 400GbE client-side services with commercially available ultra-efficient 400GbE-LR8 QSFP-DD compact pluggable interfaces.

The trial leveraged Infinera’s commercially available 2x 600G Wavelength muxponder on its Groove (GX) G30 Compact Modular Platform with the CHM-2T sled, which enabled the customer-facing 400GbE service to be transmitted using a single-carrier 600G wavelength.

Windstream Wholesale said it is currently engaging with customers for initial deployment of the end-to-end 400G Wave service.

“We’re excited to partner with Windstream and leverage the power and flexibility of our 600G Wavelength technology to deliver enhanced high-speed services,” said Glenn Laxdal, SVP, GM of Product Management, Infinera. “The ability to support 400GbE services with a wide-variety of client interfaces and to carry those services across metro, regional and long-haul distances enables Windstream to seamlessly support their customers’ evolving connectivity needs.”

“Our customers’ bandwidth requirements are growing rapidly, and Windstream is increasing network capacity to meet this demand,” said Buddy Bayer, chief network officer at Windstream. “Infinera’s GX G30 Compact Modular Platform provides an ultra-efficient transport solution enabling us to offer 400GbE services to support our customers’ high-bandwidth needs. The use of LR8 clients with a single mode fiber interface and a 10-kilometer reach provides an extremely cost-effective solution by enabling us to extend these services directly to our customers’ premises.”

https://www.windstreamenterprise.com/wholesale/interactive-map

Windstream adds to long-haul with Infinera’s FlexILS Line System

Monday, January 20, 2020  Infinera, Windstream  

Windstream Wholesale will add over 1,000 miles to its Next Gen flexible ultra-long-haul fiber network using Infinera’s FlexILS line system.

The route from Salt Lake City to Portland and Seattle will provide diverse, low-latency connectivity to markets in the Pacific Northwest.

Windstream also announced that, as part of an ongoing program to enhance its long-haul network, it has increased the capacity of several major routes to 48 Tbps.

The overlay is powered by Infinera’s FlexILS line system. The flexible grid-compliant open optical line system features C+L-band support and colorless-directionless-contentionless (CDC) ROADM.

“Our new route to the Pacific Northwest, along with the overlay of existing routes with Infinera’s FlexILS technology, is a response to increasing customer demand for bandwidth,” said Joe Scattareggia, executive vice president of Windstream Wholesale. “These ongoing initiatives pave the way for Windstream Wholesale to meet customers’ needs for high-quality, low-latency services across our most popular routes for years to come.”

“We are delighted to support Windstream with solutions that enable them to meet their customers’ evolving need for high-bandwidth, low-latency services,” said Nick Walden, senior vice president, worldwide sales, Infinera. “Infinera’s uniquely scalable C+L solution is an ideal fit to meet Windstream’s initiatives for future bandwidth needs by significantly increasing and, in some cases, more than doubling capacity on its existing fiber links.

Windstream Wholesale previously announced an overlay of its Dallas to Atlanta route.

Windstream signs its largest wavelengths deal

Wednesday, December 11, 2019  Windstream  

Windstream Wholesale signed its largest capacity wavelengths deal to date. A major hyperscale customer (unnamed) will purchase wavelengths to interconnect data centers in key cities in the United States.

Windstream said this deal, combined with additional wave capacity contracted in October, represents 5.7 terabits of capacity – the most sold in any single month at Windstream Wholesale.

Windstream Wholesale’s coast-to-coast long-haul and regional express fiber-optic network provides high-speed optical Wavelengths to support today’s massive data demands stemming from cloud computing, multimedia and bandwidth intensive applications. Our optical Wavelengths service features unique, diverse routes with high-speed connections from attractive Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets back to the most popular carrier hotels, data centers, cable landing stations and 1,200+ 1G to 100G capable POPs in Tier 1 markets in the country.

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Infinera evolves its Groove optical transport with 2 x 800G transponder sled

Infinera announced the expansion of its Groove (GX) Series of open, compact, and modular transport solutions with the adoption of a sled-based architecture and support for its sixth-generation Infinite Capacity Engine (ICE6) technology. The platform's evolution includes carrier-grade features, high-density chassis, and a wide variety of advanced sled capabilities.

“These advances represent the continuation of Infinera’s vision to bring open, modular, cost-effective solutions to our customers,” said Glenn Laxdal, Infinera Senior Vice President, Product Management. “Infinera pioneered the compact modular transport platform with the Cloud Xpress for internet content providers, significantly advanced its compact modular portfolio with the industry’s first sled-based architecture with the GX G30, and is now leading the market once again with this evolution of the GX Series.”

The expanded GX Series of compact modular solutions adds improved scalability and carrier-grade features to modern data center-style networking approaches with chassis options that streamline and accelerate large-scale deployments in a wide variety of data center and traditional service provider networks. These features include NEBS Level 3 compliance, field-replaceable redundant controllers, both A/C and D/C power supplies, enhanced security, 300-millimeter (mm) and 600-mm ETSI-compliant shelf variants, and multi-chassis single-element configurations. Additionally, the expansion adds a variety of new sled-based options:

The ICE6-powered CHM6 sled – an industry-leading 2 x 800G transponder sled
Flexible aggregation sleds – a suite of metro-optimized sleds for multi-service aggregation
Advanced open line system sleds – including low- and high-degree ROADMs with colorless/directionless/contentionless add/drop architectures and low-cost FOADMs, enabling support for most networks

https://www.infinera.com/press-release/Infinera-Unveils-the-Next-Phase-in-the-Evolution-of-Compact-Modular-Optical-Transport-Solutions?

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Infinera carries 800G wavelength at 96 Gbaud over 950km

Infinera completed a live network trial of 800G single-wavelength transmission at 96 Gbaud over 950 kilometers (km) across a long-haul link in a major North American network operator’s production network.

The production network trial, which was conducted over a third-party optical line system carrying live multi-vendor traffic, leveraged Infinera’s Groove (GX) Series, equipped with its sixth-generation dual-800G Infinite Capacity Engine (ICE6) technology.  The trial demonstrated Infinera’s vertically integrated ICE6 optical engine, which features second-generation Nyquist subcarriers, 64QAM with per-subcarrier long-codeword probabilistic constellation shaping, and per-subcarrier dynamic bandwidth allocation. The operator's network used G.652 fiber.

Infinera said the achievement signals a major industry milestone in driving down the cost per bit of telecommunications networks.

“The success of this trial proves our ability to transmit 800G high-baud-rate signals across significant distances, which will be instrumental in driving down network costs,” said Parthi Kandappan, Chief Technology Officer at Infinera. “This marks another major accomplishment for Infinera’s Optical Innovation Center, adding to its long history of pioneering innovations in optical networking.”

https://www.infinera.com/innovation/ICE6

Infinera and Corning carry 800G wavelength over 800km

Tuesday, March 03, 2020  800G, Corning, Infinera, Optical  

Infinera has demonstrated the ability to carry an 800 Gbps wavelength across 800km on Corning’s TXF optical fiber.

The achievement leveraged Infinera’s sixth-generation Infinite Capacity Engine (ICE6) technology in a Groove (GX) Series platform transmitting 800G using 64QAM with probabilistic constellation shaping (PCS). ICE6 combines Infinera’s sixth-generation photonic integrated circuit with its in-house-developed 7-nanometer dual-channel 800G per-wave FlexCoherent digital signal processor.

Corning’s state-of-the-art TXF fiber is an ITU-T G.654.E compliant, ultra-low-loss, silica-core fiber with large effective area.

The companies said the success of the 800G trial highlighted the advanced features of Infinera’s vertically integrated ICE6 technology, including Nyquist subcarriers, per-subcarrier long-codeword PCS, and per-subcarrier dynamic bandwidth allocation, along with superior fiber designed to help meet growing bandwidth demands for network operators from metro to subsea network applications.

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Infinera announces $200M convertible senior notes offering

Infinera announced the pricing of $200 million aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes due 2027 in a private placement to qualified institutional buyers. Infinera also granted the initial purchaser of the Notes a 13-day option to purchase up to an additional $30 million in aggregate principal amount of Notes.

The company said the proceeds would be used for general corporate purposes, including working capital to fund growth and potential strategic projects.

https://www.infinera.com/

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Infinera and Corning carry 800G wavelength over 800km

Infinera has demonstrated the ability to carry an 800 Gbps wavelength across 800km on Corning’s TXF optical fiber.

The achievement leveraged Infinera’s sixth-generation Infinite Capacity Engine (ICE6) technology in a Groove (GX) Series platform transmitting 800G using 64QAM with probabilistic constellation shaping (PCS). ICE6 combines Infinera’s sixth-generation photonic integrated circuit with its in-house-developed 7-nanometer dual-channel 800G per-wave FlexCoherent digital signal processor.

Corning’s state-of-the-art TXF fiber is an ITU-T G.654.E compliant, ultra-low-loss, silica-core fiber with large effective area.

The companies said the success of the 800G trial highlighted the advanced features of Infinera’s vertically integrated ICE6 technology, including Nyquist subcarriers, per-subcarrier long-codeword PCS, and per-subcarrier dynamic bandwidth allocation, along with superior fiber designed to help meet growing bandwidth demands for network operators from metro to subsea network applications.


“This demonstration proves that 800G transmission using Infinera’s industry-leading technology enables a wide variety of network applications and is further enhanced by Corning’s innovative TXF fiber,” said Parthi Kandappan, Chief Technology Officer at Infinera. “This achievement is made possible by Infinera’s high degree of vertical integration including our in-house digital signal processor design, photonic integrated circuit design and manufacturing, and holistic in-house packaging.”

“We are pleased to work with Infinera to demonstrate how our combined leading-edge technologies can maximize capacity and reach,” said Jeanne Propst, division vice president, product line management, Optical Fiber and Cable, Corning Incorporated. “Our TXF fiber, with its high-data-rate capabilities and exceptional reach, helps network operators stay ahead of growing bandwidth demands while lowering their overall network costs.”

https://www.infinera.com/press-release/Infinera-and-Corning-Achieve-800G-Across-800-Kilometers-with-ICE6

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Infinera posts Q4 revenue of $384.6 million

Infinera reported GAAP revenue for Q4 2019 of $384.6 million compared to $325.3 million in the third quarter of 2019 and $332.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2018. GAAP gross margin for the quarter was 29.0% compared to 26.7% in the third quarter of 2019 and 25.4% in the fourth quarter of 2018.  GAAP net loss for the quarter was $(66.6) million, or $(0.37) per share.  Non-GAAP net income for the quarter was $6.4 million, or $0.03 per diluted share.

“In the fourth quarter, we delivered solid results and achieved significant bookings growth. We also completed the most challenging integration tasks, doubled our synergy savings commitments for the year and returned to non-GAAP operating profitability in the fourth quarter of 2019,” said Tom Fallon, Infinera CEO. “Major accomplishments this past year included strengthening our global customer base with 10 Tier 1 scale customer wins, significant growth in backlog, and continued progress in building our innovation pipeline as evidenced by announced DRX wins, the introduction of XR optics, and growing confidence in our plan to deliver 800G products to the market in 2020.”

https://www.infinera.com/press-release/Infinera-Corporation-Reports-Fourth-Quarter-and-Fiscal-Year-2019-Financial-Results

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Infinera announces XR optics partnerships with II-IV and Lumentum

Infinera announced a collaboration with II-VI, a global leader in optical communications modules, to bring to market XR optics-based networking solutions. The companies said partnership will result in the introduction of a family of easily deployable, pluggable XR optics offerings applicable across a wide variety of market applications.

Infinera said XR optics enables radically more efficient and cost-effective solutions for the transport networking challenges operators face in delivering new 5G, enhanced broadband, and cloud-based business services. Infinera's XR optics technology, which is optimized for hub-and-spoke traffic patterns, is powered by independently routable Nyquist subcarriers and coherent optical aggregation capabilities. XR optics technology enables a single high-speed transceiver to simultaneously send and receive independent data streams to/from numerous low-speed transceivers.

“We are excited to partner with II-VI to introduce this revolutionary point-to-multipoint solution that is expected to help network operators realize unprecedented savings,” said Dr. Dave Welch, Founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Infinera. “We are experiencing growing interest from our customers in XR optics, and collaborating with a leader like II-VI underscores the value of this innovation and our commitment to bring it to market with a broad-based coalition of top-tier suppliers.”

“We are looking forward to leveraging our highly integrated laser technology platform, coupled with our industry-leading optics and module expertise, together with Infinera’s coherent subcarrier aggregation DSP and transmission expertise, to achieve next-generation coherent transceiver solutions,” said Matthias Berger, Vice President, Coherent Optics Business Unit, II-VI Incorporated. “This collaboration will enable us to jointly deliver digital coherent optics in small pluggable form-factors and with low power consumption.”

In addition, Infinera announced a separate partnership with Lumentum to bring to market XR optics-based networking solutions. The partnership will result in the introduction of a family of easily deployable, pluggable XR optics offerings applicable across a wide variety of market applications.

“We are delighted to partner with Lumentum to introduce this revolutionary point-to-multipoint solution designed to help network operators benefit from unprecedented savings,” said Dr. Dave Welch, Founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Infinera. “Lumentum has been an important team player, recognizing the value of XR optics and committed to bringing this innovative solution to market.”

“Collaborating with Infinera leverages our deep experience in high-speed coherent components and pluggable modules to bring an innovative solution like XR optics to market,” said Beck Mason, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Lumentum’s Telecom Transmission Business. “The XR optics concept aligns with our core strategy to provide scalable and flexible coherent optical network solutions that enable higher speeds for next-generation transport networks.”

Infinera's XR Optics delivers coherent optical subcarrier aggregation

Monday, September 23, 2019  100G, ECOC, Infinera  

Infinera introduced a point-to-multipoint coherent optical subcarrier aggregation technology with the potential to significantly reduce the number of transceivers required in an access network while eliminating intermediate aggregation.

Infinera's XR optics technology, which is optimized for hub-and-spoke traffic patterns, is powered by independently routable Nyquist subcarriers and coherent optical aggregation capabilities. With coherent subcarrier aggregation (CSA) capabilities, XR optics technology enables a single high-speed transceiver to simultaneously send and receive independent data streams to/from numerous low-speed transceivers.

Subcarriers can be flexibly sized. For example, 4 X 25G subcarriers defined in a 100G QSFP-28 transcrivers; or 16 X 25G subcarriers defined in a 400G QSFP-DD transceiver.

The company says that by leveraging these capabilities, network operators will be positioned to significantly reduce the number of transceivers in the network, eliminate the need for costly intermediate aggregation devices, and more efficiently optimize transport infrastructure for hub-and-spoke end-user traffic flows.

Initial areas of focus include DAA fiber deep networks, 5G X-haul, DSL/PON backhaul, and fiber-enabled business services.

XR optics is designed to be integrated into a variety of form factors, including industry-standard pluggables, from low-speed interfaces with a single subcarrier to high-speed (400G+) interfaces with numerous subcarriers.
https://www.infinera.com/innovation/xr-optics

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Windstream adds to long-haul with Infinera’s FlexILS Line System

Windstream Wholesale will add over 1,000 miles to its Next Gen flexible ultra-long-haul fiber network using Infinera’s FlexILS line system.

The route from Salt Lake City to Portland and Seattle will provide diverse, low-latency connectivity to markets in the Pacific Northwest.

Windstream also announced that, as part of an ongoing program to enhance its long-haul network, it has increased the capacity of several major routes to 48 Tbps.

The overlay is powered by Infinera’s FlexILS line system. The flexible grid-compliant open optical line system features C+L-band support and colorless-directionless-contentionless (CDC) ROADM.

“Our new route to the Pacific Northwest, along with the overlay of existing routes with Infinera’s FlexILS technology, is a response to increasing customer demand for bandwidth,” said Joe Scattareggia, executive vice president of Windstream Wholesale. “These ongoing initiatives pave the way for Windstream Wholesale to meet customers’ needs for high-quality, low-latency services across our most popular routes for years to come.”

“We are delighted to support Windstream with solutions that enable them to meet their customers’ evolving need for high-bandwidth, low-latency services,” said Nick Walden, senior vice president, worldwide sales, Infinera. “Infinera’s uniquely scalable C+L solution is an ideal fit to meet Windstream’s initiatives for future bandwidth needs by significantly increasing and, in some cases, more than doubling capacity on its existing fiber links.

Windstream Wholesale previously announced an overlay of its Dallas to Atlanta route.

Windstream signs its largest wavelengths deal

Wednesday, December 11, 2019  Windstream  

Windstream Wholesale signed its largest capacity wavelengths deal to date. A major hyperscale customer (unnamed) will purchase wavelengths to interconnect data centers in key cities in the United States.

Windstream said this deal, combined with additional wave capacity contracted in October, represents 5.7 terabits of capacity – the most sold in any single month at Windstream Wholesale.

Windstream Wholesale’s coast-to-coast long-haul and regional express fiber-optic network provides high-speed optical Wavelengths to support today’s massive data demands stemming from cloud computing, multimedia and bandwidth intensive applications. Our optical Wavelengths service features unique, diverse routes with high-speed connections from attractive Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets back to the most popular carrier hotels, data centers, cable landing stations and 1,200+ 1G to 100G capable POPs in Tier 1 markets in the country.

“Our flexibility and customer tailored routes coupled with our unique domestic network density in Tiers 1, 2 and 3 cities have positioned us as the ‘go-to’ provider for international carriers, content providers, fiber operators and others needing domestic diversity and redundancy,” said Joe Scattareggia, executive vice president for Wholesale Sales at Windstream. “Our Wholesale business has been on a steady growth trajectory for some time. Hitting our single highest month of capacity sold is a great accomplishment and reflects the inflection point of marketplace bandwidth demand and our network solutions designed to meet this demand.”

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GlobalConnect tests 400G coherent transmission with metro

GlobalConnect, which owns a 42,000 km fiber network and 18,000 sqm high-security data center space in Northern Europe, competed a field trial demonstrating 400 Gbps coherent transmission over a 50 gigahertz (GHz) fixed grid metro transport network concurrently with pre-existing 10G channels.

The trial was conducted over a live GlobalConnect optical link in the Oslo metropolitan area using the Infinera Groove G30 Compact Modular Platform. The trial demonstrated seamless interoperability with deployed metro transport infrastructure. The error-free testing included multiple 300G and 400G alien wavelength transmission use cases over a live metro network link originally designed for and currently running 10G wavelengths using on-off keying (OOK) modulation technology.

The companies said the field trial showcased the ability to boost the capacity of a 10G-engineered OOK-based network by going from 10G to 400G per wavelength, thus increasing the fiber capacity to 32 terabits on an existing 50 GHz fixed grid metro network.

“With the explosive growth in data traffic and acceleration of digital transformation, optical network flexibility and scalability remain critical to our ability to be responsive to our customers’ evolving communications needs,” said Anders Kuhn Saaby, CTO, GlobalConnect. “We remain committed to advancing our fiber infrastructure with cutting-edge technologies to keep pace with growing capacity demands and allow us to expand our addressable market.”

The Infinera Groove G30 is an open, disaggregated networking solution designed to be compatible with third-party optical line systems and diverse network environments, including conventional 10G-engineered non-coherent metro networks designed with OOK, a legacy transport technology that poses limitations for upgrading to higher-capacity wavelengths.

https://www.infinera.com/press-release/Infinera-and-GlobalConnect-Complete-Successful-400G-Coherent-Transmission-Field-Trial

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Infinera releases packet optical switch for 5G networks

Infinera introduced an X-haul-optimized packet-optical switch purpose-built for Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) in 5G and fiber deep applications.

The Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF)-compliant Infinera EMXP-XH800, which is part of Infinera’s XTM Series, enables mobile operators and wholesale providers to deliver Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI), eCPRI, and Ethernet-based X-haul transport services for 4G/5G with lower latency and industry-leading synchronization, including a broad range of Ethernet service and resiliency options. The EMXP-XH800 extends the benefits of the XTM Series’ widely deployed EMXP range for all Ethernet aggregation and backhaul applications, increasing switching capacity, improving the EMXP’s already impressive synchronization performance, and adding capabilities such as TSN to support current and new requirements as more networks evolve to 5G.

The XTM Series with the EMXP-XH800 offers operators 800G of Ethernet aggregation, including 100G/200G coherent dense wavelength-division multiplexing optics, within a hardened street-cabinet-deployable device. With optimization for street cabinets, including right-to-left cooling and all-front access on the 1 rack unit ETSI 300-compliant hardened device, the EMXP-XH800 enables network operators to push high-capacity packet-optical capabilities deep into access networks for any Ethernet-based backhaul application. Taking advantage of the XTM Series’ low power heritage, the EMXP-XH800 has proven to be significantly lower in power than many leading competitors’ solutions, using approximately 200 watts in the most demanding conditions and significantly less under normal operating conditions.

“Introducing the EMXP-XH800 is the natural evolution of Infinera’s packet-optical portfolio, enhancing its existing solutions to better meet the needs of operators as networks advance to 5G,” said Glenn Laxdal, Senior Vice President, Disaggregated, Edge, and Access Solutions, Infinera. “The XTM Series is already successful in networks globally, and with the latest switching capabilities delivered on the EMXP-XH800, we are confident our solution will continue to help our customers launch new services, achieve their business needs, and remain ahead of their competition.”

The EMXP-XH800 has tested positively in customer trials, and will be generally available in Q1 2020.

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