Alcatel-Lucent breaks data-speed record

A new speed record has been set by Alcatel-Lucent, by sending data over a fibre-optic network at 25.6 terabits per second.

The equipment vendor detailed the achievement, which used a single fibre strand, on Wednesday in a "post deadline" paper accepted at the OFC/NFOEC optical communications conference in Anaheim, California. The previous record, 14 terabits per second (Tbps), had been set in September 2006.

This latest record was established in a New Jersey laboratory, where an experimental system devised by US and French research teams transmitted data at 25.6Tbps through three 80km "spans". The speed was achieved in both the C and L wavelengths using polarisation multiplexing.

"Optical networking is a critical enabler of the broadband IP revolution we are seeing throughout the world today," said Romano Valussi, president of optics activities for Alcatel-Lucent. "The experience we are developing in these tests will help Alcatel-Lucent design the most efficient, highest bandwidth systems possible to benefit our customers when networks of this bandwidth will be deployed."

Alcatel-Lucent said its tests "successfully demonstrated the potential for upgrading existing 40Gbps transparent long-haul transport networks to 100Gbps Ethernet".