Vodafone tests Voyager whitebox for packet/optical transport

Staff

8 years ago

Vodafone has conducted a live network trial of a whitebox packet/optical transport solution based on the Telecom Infra Project’s Voyager design.

Vodafone used the Voyager devices with a network OS by Cumulus Networks and a NetOS Software Defined Network orchestration from Zeetta Networks on a live network in Spain.

ADVA played a key role as one of the architects of the platform.

Cumulus said the trial demonstrated how a Voyager whitebox can be implemented over an existing optical infrastructure. The results of the trial include:

Demonstrated ability to deliver 800 Gbps per rack
Demonstrated ability to dynamically adapt the system modulation as fiber conditions changed
Proved that “a live network can set up optical services and keep them running”
SDN-based optical commissioning (modulation, power, frequency) to 200 Gbps, 16QAM, and 100 Gbps quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK)
SDN-based optical real-time monitoring with automatic modulation adaptation from 200 Gbps, 16QAM to 100Gbit/s, QPSK maintaining connectivity with 50% capacity of traffic in the case of optical line degradation and reverting automatically to 16QAM when the degradation was fixed
Upgrade of a legacy 10 Gbps-based legacy WDM system with 4 x 200 Gbps wavelengths for a total of 800 Gbps of extra capacity

“We wanted to show how Voyager’s variable-rate transceivers can be used to match speeds and modulation formats with actual line conditions,” said Santiago Tenorio, Vodafone’s Group Head of Networks Strategy and Architecture. “Thanks to a streamlined network operating system and SDN automation, we showed how our live network can set-up optical services and keep them running, reduce unnecessary and lengthy customer service interruptions, and improve network utilization.”

“The successful results from Vodafone’s live trial represent a significant step toward how optical networks will be designed in the future,” said JR Rivers, Co-founder and CTO at Cumulus Networks. “Cumulus has found success bringing disaggregation to the data center and we are now applying that model to optical networks, which haven’t been disrupted in decades. We believe buy-in from top providers like Vodafone validates the importance of shifting to a disaggregated model in telecommunications. By sharing the success of the trial, we hope to encourage other providers in the optical industry to consider the benefits of moving away from traditional vendor lock-in and embracing open alternatives.”