But even 40 Gbps is the tip of the iceberg. Alcatel continues to push the bandwidth on single fiber transmission by cramming 365 10-Gbps wavelengths over a single 6,800-km fiber. Designed for marine installations, this technology would transfer more than 3.5 Tbps, or enough bandwidth to carry 47 million simultaneous phone calls.
True optical switching is the next frontier, and companies like Opthos are already blazing a trail. Most switches today rely on OEO technology, with switching actually occurring within the electrical components. By switching at the optical layer, it occurs not only faster, but cooler and quieter as well.
Darrin Woods is a Network Computing contributing editor. He has worked as a WAN engineer for a telecom carrier. Send your comments on this article to him at [email protected].
Discover the benefits of scalable backbone and network services for application and cloud providers.
Network automation is gaining momentum. Here's how you can drive this powerful technology to its full potential.
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
