COLT has launched the first 8 Gbits/s Fibre Channel (FC) service over distance. The COLT services is using ADVA Optical Networking’s ADVA FSP 3000 8Gbps FC card, which provides a point-to-point link that stretches beyond 135km. 
Connecting two data centers with an 8Gbps FC link across this distance was dependent upon the ADVA FSP 3000’s Raman amplification capabilities to eliminate the need for mid-span huts and the associated operations and maintenance costs.
Before installation, ADVA Optical Networking developed and extensively tested its 8Gbps FC solution in its Meiningen, Germany, laboratories, ensuring that it could operate over large distances and that it is compatible with 10-, 4-, 2- and 1Gbps FC interfaces and a range of industry switches, including Brocade’s 8Gbps SAN switch.
COLT owns and operates a 13-country, 25,000km network that includes metropolitan area networks in 34 major European cities with direct fibre connections into 14,000 buildings and 18 COLT data centres.
http://www.advaoptical.com
