The indium phosphide based DTN-X platform addresses global service provider demands for scalable, simple and efficient next-generation optical networks.

Infinera has unveiled the DTN-X, which it says is the first multi-terabit packet-optical transport (P-OTN) network platform based on groundbreaking 500 Gb/s Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs).

The new devices are designed for global service providers facing increasing demands for bandwidth driven by video, mobile and cloud-based services. The DTN-X is purpose-built to integrate switching with DWDM without trade-offs in capacity. The architecture of the DTN-X extends the ease of use and reliability of Infinera's successful DTN in a new multi-terabit platform that scales for the future, is simple to operate and efficiently reduces the number of elements in the network.

Unabated growth in internet traffic is driving operators to upgrade their networks to 100 Gb/s and higher speed optical transmission. Infinera is introducing third-generation 500 Gb/s PICs that integrate more than 600 optical functions and deliver what it says is the world's first 500 Gb/s super-channels, providing a foundation for the DTN-X's superior scale, simplicity and efficiency.

Infinera recently tested the fully functioning 500 Gb/s PICs on the production network of SEACOM, a leading pan-African telecommunications provider, demonstrating 500 Gb/s of coherent transmission over a distance of 1,732 km (Infinera and SEACOM Achieve First Ever 500 Gb/s Optical Network Trial in Africa Over a Distance of 1732 km) and earlier this year the company presented test results for a 1 Tb/s PIC (Infinera Presents on First-Ever Terabit PIC at OFC).

Since most end-user services today are 10 Gb/s or less, global operators require integrated ITU G.709 Optical Transport Network (OTN) switching to groom traffic onto larger 100 Gb/s and 500 Gb/s pipes to maximise network utilisation. The DTN-X will deliver 5 Tb/s of non-blocking OTN switching in a single bay, and in subsequent releases will be upgradeable to resilient multi-bay configurations providing 100 Tb/s of non-blocking OTN and MPLS switching.

Unlike competitive offerings where integrating DWDM with switching was an afterthought, the DTN-X is designed from the ground up to combine three unique technology building blocks -- PICs, custom switching ASICs and intelligent GMPLS software -- enabling the DTN-X platform to be flexibly configured with up to 5 Tb/s of DWDM or service interfaces in each bay, or any combination of the two, without any loss of capacity.

While the Infinera Digital Optical Network has always been scalable, simple and efficient, the combination of the 500 Gb/s PICs and integrated switching will allow the DTN-X to deliver the following benefits to global service providers:

The DTN-X is designed to help global operators confidently face future bandwidth demands by delivering 500 Gb/s super-channels, upgradeable to 1 Tb/s super-channels yielding up to 24 Tb/s per fiber in the future. Initially the DTN-X will offer 5 Tb/s of OTN switching capacity, upgradeable in the future to 100 Tb/s. For example, a fully-equipped DTN-X is planned to have enough capacity to stream a movie to each of Netflix's 23.6 million members simultaneously.

The device is designed to converge layers of the network and support DWDM transmission, OTN switching and in the future MPLS switching in a single platform. The all-digital architecture, point-and-click automation and intelligent GMPLS software are designed to enable global service providers to rapidly deploy network capacity while lowering operational costs.

The disruptive nature of Infinera's 500 Gb/s PIC will enable the DTN-X to consume 33% less space and 50% less power than alternatives in a typical configuration. In a recent white paper that modelled a large pan-North American optical network it was found that the DTN-X solution required 69% fewer modules and 67% fewer chassis than competitive approaches.

Stu Elby, vice president of technology at Verizon, said, "Our growth is continually driving the need for greater integration and efficiency within the network. Innovations such as Photonic Integrated Circuits that enable terabit scale while adding efficiency with integrated transport and switching will be essential to extracting long term economic value as the network scales to hundreds of terabits."

"We have used DTN as a competitive advantage to simplify our network, deploy services faster and increase bandwidth efficiency," said Randy Nicklas, CTO of XO Communications. "We are looking forward to the new DTN-X platform that will help scale these qualities while delivering the same ease of use that XO Communications has grown accustomed to from Infinera."

Interoute, whose pan-European network was the first in Europe to deploy Infinera's 100 Gb/s PICs more than four years ago, is planning to use Infinera's DTN-X to continue to invest in the scale and reach of its European network. In March, Interoute completed the first successful subsea field trial of a 500 Gb/s PIC (Interoute Completes First European PIC-based 100G Transmission on Subsea Network).

"Interoute successfully exploited the previous generation of PIC technology revolutionising how high capacity services were delivered in Europe. We look forward to the DTN-X as the next evolution of the model that has consistently demonstrated cost and operational efficiency," said Matthew Finnie, CTO at Interoute.

"We remain committed to our customers and will continue to drive innovation that helps them win in their markets," said Tom Fallon, Infinera's president and CEO. "The DTN-X is a multi-terabit class platform that enables service providers to build scalable, simple and efficient optical transport networks, ultimately making them more profitable."

Infinera is introducing a full-rack, multi-bay-ready chassis and a half-rack chassis, both of which are planned for availability in the first half of 2012. The DTN-X is interoperable with the DTN platform and is planned to support 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10 GbE), 40 Gigabit Ethernet (40 GbE), 100 Gigabit Ethernet (100 GbE), 10 Gb/s SONET/SDH/OTN, 40 Gb/s SONET/SDH/OTN, 100 Gb/s OTN, 8/10 Gb/s Fibre Channel, and multiple bit rate clear-channel interfaces.

Infinera has also announced the availability of new capabilities on the DTN platform to support new services and further increase fibre capacity. These include new 40 GbE and 100 GbE service interfaces to support high-bandwidth data services. In addition, new DWDM line-cards are now available supporting 40 Gb/s per wavelength coherent optical transmission, enabling the DTN platform to scale up to 6.4 Tb/s of transmission capacity per fibre. The DTN and DTN-X platforms are designed to provide a seamless transition from 10 Gb/s to 40 Gb/s and 100 Gb/s wavelengths, enabling global network operators to migrate their networks according to their bandwidth needs.