II-VI helps field-test Windstream’s 800G live network trial

II‐VI’s Waveshaper and WaveAnalyzer instruments were selected to field-test the live network trial of 800Gb/s transmission on a single channel for provider, Windstream. 

With network operators increasingly planning to deploy 800Gb/s transmission technology, so too has the requirement for portable test and measurement equipment with advanced capabilities. The live network successfully achieved 800Gb/s single-wavelength transmission over 730km across the provider’s long-haul network between San Diego and Phoenix.

II-VI’s WaveAnalyzer can resolve the optical spectrum to 180MHz to accurately determine the spectral shape and modulation format of 800Gb/s signals. The WaveShaper, meanwhile, can be programmed to simulate realistic optical network configurations. This can be leveraged to analyze a wide range of scenarios, including the cumulative impairment effects on 800Gb/s signals that result from transmitting through a series of reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) systems.

Kim Papakos, senior network architect at Windstream said: ‘The high-resolution, advanced features, and compact size of the WaveShaper and WaveAnalyzer enable realistic transmission stress testing both in the lab and in the field. With the additional benefits of simultaneous multi-user access, a friendly user interface, and powerful post-processing capabilities, these instruments are an ideal solution for our upcoming 800G deployments.’

Sanjai Parthasarathi, chief marketing officer at II-VI added: ‘We are collaborating closely with telecom carriers such as Windstream to define and perfect new software features that will enable their next-generation optical networks.’