Practical Innovations Enabling Scalable Optical Transmission Networks: Real-World Trials and Experiences of Advanced Technologies in Field Deployed Optical Networks

We introduce and expand on key high speed optical innovations that enable scalable and efficient optical transmission networks; technologies such as advanced modulation formats including Probabilistic Constellation Shaping (PCS), flexible grid and optical superchannels as well as emerging high speed Ethernet client technology. We describe and show examples of our recent industry leading technology trials giving real-world experiences of leading edge technologies in field deployed network environments. We focus on a recent successful trial of real-time 2 × 200G PCS DP-16QAM superchannel transporting 400 GbE over a 727 km live flexible grid link, achieving high spectral efficiency of 5.33 bit/s/Hz. We also show that 200G PCS DP-16QAM has significantly enhanced performance over the conventional DP-16QAM, achieving a distance of 1454 km. These industry leading trials give network operators crucial understanding of the performance, maturity and operational viability of emerging high speed technologies, and therefore confidence that they are fit for purpose and will allow network operators to scale their networks gracefully to meet increasing bandwidth demands.