The 800G tech, powered by Ciena’s WaveLogic 5 Extreme (WL5e), enables high data capacity, transmission and speeds. It will support “greener delivery” of Vodafone’s recently launched 5G service, as well as video streaming and cloud services, and it is fast enough to transport 25 HD movies in one second, or the latest virtual reality game in a quarter of a second.
Described as a “highly advanced data transport system”, it has been deployed together with Vodafone’s optical partner Ciena (NYSE: CIEN) and VIAVI.
“Ciena’s innovative 800G coherent optics enable Vodafone New Zealand to execute on our vision to provide New Zealanders with access to the world’s best digital services,” said Tony Baird, wholesale and infrastructure director at Vodafone.
“With Ciena’s WL5e, Vodafone will provide increased bandwidth for a plethora of data-hungry applications, especially necessary as we’ve seen both increases and spikes of data used during the past few months, a trend that is only set to continue as remote working becomes more widespread and New Zealand gears up for a more digitally-focused future,” Baird added.
WL5e is utilised between Vodafone’s data centres in Auckland, with the operator reporting record transmission speeds that will support “growing, yet constantly fluctuating, demands for digital services while enabling a greener network”.
As an internet provider, Vodafone will also be able to offer a broad range of digital experiences by scaling from 200G up to 800G single wavelengths to optimise capacity across any distance while lowering costs. Vodafone is leveraging its existing Ciena 6500 shelves, doubling the data throughput for each hardware module deployed and reducing energy consumption by 50%.
Rick Seeto, Ciena’s VP and GM of Asia-Pacific and Japan, said: “Today’s networks need to adapt and adjust quickly to meet rising connectivity demands. WL5e delivers increased scale, performance and efficiency, transforming Vodafone New Zealand’s network to bring exciting new applications and services to life.”
