Infinera Announces latest Infinite Capacity Engine
Sixth generation InP PIC features dual-channel 800 gigabits per second per wave
Infinera has announcedits sixth-generation Infinite Capacity Engine, ICE6, which it describes as a new benchmark in high-capacity optical transmission with dual-channel 800 gigabits per second (800G) per wave and leading optical performance.
Part of The Infinite Network, ICE6 builds on the success of Infinera’s ICE4 and Instant Bandwidth with a 1.6 terabits per second (1.6T) optical engine, providing a seamless path for network operators to meet the relentless growth of bandwidth and increasingly dynamic, unpredictable traffic flows.
Packaged in a cross-platform digital coherent module, ICE6 combines Infinera’s sixth-generation photonic integrated circuit (PIC) with its in-house 7nm FlexCoherent digital signal processor (DSP) technology.
The ICE6 PIC is available today, and will be demonstrated for the first time at the Optical fibre Conference and Exhibition (OFC) in San Diego, California from March 5-7, 2019. The FlexCoherent 6 DSP will be available in Q3-2019, with the complete ICE6 optical engine available by end of year, and platforms powered by ICE6 commercially available in the second half of 2020.
High baud rate transmissions like 800G have extremely tight tolerances in module design. With the use of revolutionary Nyquist subcarriers, deep vertical integration and mastery of InP photonics, Infinera is well positioned to deliver an industry-leading 800G solution. Featuring a second-generation probabilistic constellation shaping engine, powered by 7 nm technology and a comprehensive toolkit of advanced coherent technologies, ICE6 will deliver up to 45 percent higher maximum capacity per fibre, streamlined operations and lowest total cost of ownership.
“Infinera has historically been a leader in photonic integration and at the forefront of developing solutions in house, exemplified by high-volume shipments of multiple generations of coherent engines,” said Andrew Schmitt, directing analyst, Optical Networking at Cignal AI. “ICE6 should demonstrate similar leadership, with levels of optical performance that deliver greater capacity and reach for network operators.”
“Infinera continues to lead industry innovation with ICE6, delivering the first coherent 800G per wave solution to the market ahead of schedule,” said Dave Welch, Infinera Founder and chief innovation officer. “Similar to the launch of ICE4, ICE6 will transform the market by delivering cutting-edge technology, designed in house, enabling network operators to respond to the insatiable demand for capacity quickly while optimising costs.”
Infinite Network - a new scaleable architecture
Infinera has also announced The Infinite Network, an end-to-end network architecture that will be able to use the new ICE6.
The architecture is said to pave the way to instantly scalable, self-optimising networks that dynamically adapt to the demands of users and applications.
The Infinite Network is designed to enable operators to scale their networks efficiently to support relentless bandwidth growth and new bandwidth-intensive and latency-sensitive applications including 5G services, Distributed Access Architectures (DAA), data centre interconnection and cloud-based business services.
The Infinite Network consists of The Infinite Core, The Infinite Edge and Cognitive Networking, providing end-to-end intelligence and automation from edge to core.
