Verizon and NEC Fit New Record to Transmitting High Bit-Rate Technologies Over Field Fiber

The results of the trial, which was performed earlier this year on 1,503 kilometers (934 miles) of standard single mode field fiber on Verizon's network in the Dallas area, were outlined in a post-deadline paper presented at the recent OFC/NFOEC Conference and Expo in Los Angeles.

"Verizon continues its research to find the scientific limits of high-capacity optical technology as we strive to offer the most advanced network technology that adds long-term value to our customers and is capable of sustaining the tremendous growth potential," said Ihab Tarazi, vice president of global IP and transport planning and technology for Verizon. "This joint effort moves the industry toward a better understanding of the technology's challenges, differentiators and viability because the future will be shaped by what we learn now."

Network carriers are moving to higher and higher capacity rates to stay ahead of growing bandwidth demands from video services, wireless applications, real-time gaming, large-scale data storage and increased IP services.

By increasing modulation levels and reducing optical carrier spacing using superchannels, the total capacity per fiber is increased by more than 100 percent as compared with the current standard 100G systems. "Superchannels" are the next evolution of optical technology that combines several optical carriers to create a signal with greater than 100G capacity. The ability to use current field fiber to carry higher capacity rates enables carriers to avoid the need to deploy new fiber and, as a result, better utilize current network infrastructure.

"NEC has a proven commitment in delivering the most advanced optical networking technology to allow carriers to meet the growth in network traffic," said Masaaki Nakajima, senior vice president of NEC Corporation of America. "The success of the field trial with Verizon is an achievement that reaffirms our technology leadership and demonstrates the feasibility of delivering unmatched capacity over existing networks."

This trial also used a novel approach that allowed for different modulation formats to be used to help ensure signal performance while carrying the highest total capacity. The two companies also specifically focused on transmission performance over a significant fiber distance since other experiments in this area have only been performed in a lab environment.

In 2011, Verizon and NEC Corporation of America completed an industry first by successfully transmitting high bit-rate technologies, including 100G, 450G and 1T, coexisting on the same fiber in a joint field trial. The company also continues to deploy 100G on its global network.