Nokia and OTE Group, part of Deutsche Telekom, have set two new world records for optical transmission speeds using Nokia’s sixth-generation Photonic Service Engine (PSE-6s) technology. The field trial, conducted on OTE’s national dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) network in Greece, achieved 800Gbps over a 2,580 km (1,603 miles) distance and 900Gbps over 1,290 km (802 miles) in a live, real-world environment. These results were obtained while transmitting over a fully loaded DWDM link with 4.8THz of spectrum, supporting a total network capacity of 25.6 Tbps per fiber.
The trial utilized Nokia’s 1830 PSI-M optical transport solution, with two optical nodes installed in Patra and Athens to enhance performance on these long-distance fiber routes. A separate test also demonstrated a transmission rate of 1.2 Tbps over 255 km (158 miles). Nokia’s PSE-6s coherent optics enable higher capacity and spectrum efficiency while reducing energy consumption per transmitted bit by 40%, thereby lowering the carbon footprint of the network.
Key highlights of the trial:
- 800Gbps achieved over 2,580 km (1,603 miles) using a single channel.
- 900Gbps reached over 1,290 km (802 miles) using a single channel.
- A separate demonstration of 1.2 Tbps over 255 km (158 miles).
- Total network capacity of 25.6 Tbps per fiber.
- Energy consumption reduced by 40% per bit transmitted.
“We are proud to have developed one of the most advanced long-haul DWDM networks globally. This network has shown world-record performance, and we aim to deliver top-tier performance in the most cost-effective manner,” said Michalis Papamichail, OTE Group Core Network DevOps and Technology Strategy Director.