Cisco Updates its Routed Optical Networking Solution

Cisco announced advancements to its Routed Optical Networking solution, delivering on its commitment to redefine the economics of the internet and help communication service providers close the digital divide by connecting more people, places, and things.

Cisco unveiled its technology strategy for the Internet for the Future in December 2019, featuring new silicon, optics, and software to help service providers reduce the costs of building and extending their networks to reach more people. Cisco later announced its ground-breaking Routed Optical Networking architecture in March 2021, featuring converged networking protocols, reduced networking layers, advanced automation tools and simplified network access to foster open networking and prepare for the rise of 5G.

Focused on Sustainability and Service Assurance

Today, Cisco introduced new private line emulation technology to transport any legacy service over a converged IP infrastructure, advanced automation software service assurance, Cisco Customer Experience (CX) advisory services, and more to help its customers reduce opex and capex and meet their sustainability goals. Cisco’s enhanced Routed Optical Networking solution increases capacity and scalability, while reducing power for a lower carbon impact on the environment. The modularity and programmability of Cisco’s IOS XR operating system minimizes IT needs for set-up and operation, resulting in fewer truck rolls and maintenance windows. Cisco has shifted to using recyclable material for much of its Routed Optical Networking product packaging to help achieve its customers’ CO2 emission goals.

“Cisco is committed to powering an inclusive future for all, where everyone has access to quality internet, and that requires fundamental changes in networking,” said Bill Gartner, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Optical Systems and Optics, Cisco. “Cisco Routed Optical Networking takes a less is more approach, offering communication service providers the critical components they need to speed transitions to a more efficient way of building and operating networks, reducing legacy technology and focusing on sustainable components that will save money and save the environment.”

Enhanced Capabilities for Cisco Routed Optical Networking include:

NCS 1010 Open Optical Line System for Optimized Transport: Designed to scale for capacity at speed, the Cisco NCS 1010 leverages both C and L-band to double fiber capacity; Powered by the industry-leading Cisco IOS-XR operating system, it is an open networking platform to help customers deploy Cisco Routed Optical Networking in both green and brown field deployments.

New Bright 400G ZR/ZR+ Pluggable Optic: The Bright 400G ZR/ZR+ pluggable optic can be deployed in any DWDM network, regardless of vendor.

Private Line Emulation: Standardized private line emulation (PLE) will support the move of legacy bit transparent services over an IP/MPLS infrastructure.

Cisco Crosswork Network Automation: Cisco Crosswork Automation now provides multi-layer automation for assurance and provisioning, and optical automation for Cisco’s entire optical portfolio.

Sustainability: Cisco networking analysis and modelling shows improved solution sustainability with up to 45% in power savings and up to 70% space savings.

New Cisco Customer Experience (CX) Advisory Service: Cisco CX is providing advisory, planning, solution validation, and expanded support services to help customers with their architecture transitions.

“For more than two decades, Cisco has pioneered developments in routing silicon, optics, line systems, circuit emulation, software, and IP-over-DWDM. The company’s Routed Optical Networking solution and the new enhancements announced today offer a truly novel architecture with the potential to fundamentally improve the performance, economics and sustainability of service provider networks," commented, Kyle Hollasch, Lead Analyst, Optical and Packet Transport Hardware, Cignal AI.

“Colt has migrated more than 50 percent of our EU core network traffic to 400G ZR/ZR+ optics in Cisco routers to address the benefits of the Routed Optical Networking solution. Streaming telemetry can be exported from both the optical and packet layer, enabling faster provisioning of services and better agility to deploy the additional customer capacity needed. The smaller footprint and lower power reduced our operational complexity resulting in a TCO savings of up to 69% so far," said, Vivek Gaur, Vice President, Network Engineering, Colt.

“The Cisco Routed Optical Networking solution paired with Cisco 8000 series routers with 400G optics will enable us to build a network that will have a transformational impact on Ethiopia and serve as a model for connecting the estimated 3.8 billion citizens around the world that are still without access to high-speed internet," explained, Dawit Birhanu, CEO and Co-founder, WebSprix.