Windstream Wholesale and Ciena have successfully completed an industry-first trial of Ciena’s WaveLogic 6 Extreme (WL6e) 2×1.2Tb transponder, demonstrating the delivery of three concurrent 800G optical waves over a 1,590-kilometer span between Virginia Beach and Jacksonville, Florida. Conducted on Windstream’s high-capacity Beach Route and powered by Ciena’s Reconfigurable Line System (RLS), the trial validated WL6e’s ability to support ultra-long-haul transmission of multiple high-capacity services without regeneration.
The achievement highlights the capability of WL6e to deliver scalable 800G services across extended distances, addressing the growing demand for Nx800G and Nx400G high-bandwidth applications across hyperscalers, cloud providers, and carriers. By leveraging WL6e’s high spectral efficiency and client-side flexibility, Windstream aims to increase network scalability and operational efficiency while preparing its backbone for future service launches.
Windstream Wholesale plans to commercially launch 800G Wave services in the second half of 2025 over its Intelligent Converged Optical Network (ICON). Both companies presented the results of the trial at International Telecoms Week 2025, positioning the collaboration as a key milestone in the evolution of long-haul optical networking.
- Industry-first trial of 3x800G services over Ciena’s WL6e 2×1.2Tb solution
- Trial spanned 1,590 km from Virginia Beach to Jacksonville without regeneration
- Utilized Windstream’s Beach Route and Ciena’s Reconfigurable Line System
- Supports growing Nx800G/Nx400G service demand for hyperscale and cloud use cases
- 800G Wave services to launch commercially in H2 2025 on Windstream’s ICON backbone
“We are thrilled to have completed this groundbreaking trial with Ciena, demonstrating our commitment to pushing the boundaries of optical networking technology,” said Joe Scattareggia, president of Windstream Wholesale.
