OTE Group, Nokia set world-record optical transmission rates over ultra long distances

Nokia together with OTE Group, a member of Deutsche Telekom (DT), announced two new optical transmission rate world records using Nokia’s sixth generation of super-coherent Photonic Service Engine (PSE-6s) technology.

The field trial, which used Nokia’s 1830 PSI-M optical transport solution, ran over OTE Group’s national dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) network, connecting IP Core data centers and routers in Greece. Two optical nodes were installed in Patra and Athens to boost performance over the specific fiber optic routes using PSE-6s coherent optics.

As a result, Nokia and OTE achieved record-breaking speeds in a live network in real conditions, transmitting 800Gbps on a single channel over 2580 km, and 900Gbps over 1290 km. This was achieved over a DWDM link transmitting a full load of DWDM channels over 4.8THz of spectrum and supported a total network capacity of 25.6 Tbps per fiber. The companies also demonstrated 1.2 Tbps transmission on a single channel over 255 km.

Running an optical solution with Nokia’s PSE-6s allows the increase of network capacity and spectrum utilization, reduces energy consumption per bit by 40%, and minimizes the network's carbon footprint.

Michalis Papamichail, OTE Group Core Network Devops and Technology Strategy Director, said: “We are proud to have developed, constructed and operate one of the most advanced long-haul backbone DWDM networks globally. This network has demonstrated world-record performances, as evidenced by our recent field trial. Our aim is to deliver top tier performance in the most cost-effective manner. In collaboration with our partner, Nokia, we look forward to further advancements in our DWDM technology."

James Watt, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Nokia’s optical business, commented: “Our relentless pursuit of advancing optical technology has led to a new pinnacle with the PSE-6s field trial, establishing a groundbreaking industry standard and underscoring our leadership in delivering high-capacity, long-haul DWDM transmission solutions. It's incredibly gratifying to achieve these dual world records in collaboration with our longstanding customer, OTE, who is helping to strengthen the Greek economy through its advanced network infrastructure. Together, we are contributing to a global legacy that elevates data transmission capabilities to meet the surging demands of social media, cloud computing, and video streaming.”