Lumen and Ciena Transmit Record-breaking 1.2 Tbps Wavelength Service Across 3,050 Kilometers
Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) and Ciena have achieved a groundbreaking milestone by successfully conducting a 1.2 terabit wavelength service trial across 3,050 kilometers (1,800+ miles) on Lumen's Ultra-Low-Loss fiber network. This represents the world's longest 1.2 terabit non-regenerated signal.
The live network trial between Denver and Dallas utilized Ciena's WaveLogic 6 Extreme technology and demonstrated successful testing of wavelength, Ethernet, and IP services. The trial also showcased interoperability between Ciena's Waveserver platform and Juniper PTX10002-36QDD Packet Transport Router at 800 Gbps.
Microsoft highlighted the significance of this achievement for supporting growing AI workloads and cloud applications. Lumen's 400G-enabled network currently spans over 78,000 route miles, with continued investment in next-generation fiber infrastructure. The company maintains its position as the #1 provider in Waves according to VSG's Year-End 2024 Leaderboard.
Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) e Ciena hanno raggiunto un traguardo innovativo conducendo con successo una prova di servizio a lunghezza d'onda di 1,2 terabit su una distanza di 3.050 chilometri (oltre 1.800 miglia) sulla rete in fibra Ultra-Low-Loss di Lumen. Questo rappresenta il segnale non rigenerato di 1,2 terabit più lungo al mondo.
La prova della rete attiva tra Denver e Dallas ha utilizzato la tecnologia WaveLogic 6 Extreme di Ciena e ha dimostrato test riusciti di servizi a lunghezza d'onda, Ethernet e IP. La prova ha anche messo in evidenza l'interoperabilità tra la piattaforma Waveserver di Ciena e il router di trasporto pacchetti Juniper PTX10002-36QDD a 800 Gbps.
Microsoft ha sottolineato l'importanza di questo risultato per supportare i crescenti carichi di lavoro di intelligenza artificiale e le applicazioni cloud. La rete di Lumen, abilitata a 400G, si estende attualmente per oltre 78.000 miglia di percorso, con continui investimenti in infrastrutture in fibra di nuova generazione. L'azienda mantiene la sua posizione di fornitore numero 1 in Waves secondo la classifica di fine anno 2024 di VSG.
Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) y Ciena han logrado un hito innovador al realizar con éxito una prueba de servicio de longitud de onda de 1.2 terabits a lo largo de 3,050 kilómetros (más de 1,800 millas) en la red de fibra Ultra-Low-Loss de Lumen. Esto representa la señal no regenerada de 1.2 terabits más larga del mundo.
La prueba de red en vivo entre Denver y Dallas utilizó la tecnología WaveLogic 6 Extreme de Ciena y demostró pruebas exitosas de servicios de longitud de onda, Ethernet e IP. La prueba también mostró la interoperabilidad entre la plataforma Waveserver de Ciena y el enrutador de transporte de paquetes Juniper PTX10002-36QDD a 800 Gbps.
Microsoft destacó la importancia de este logro para respaldar las crecientes cargas de trabajo de IA y las aplicaciones en la nube. La red de Lumen, habilitada para 400G, actualmente abarca más de 78,000 millas de ruta, con una inversión continua en infraestructura de fibra de próxima generación. La compañía mantiene su posición como el proveedor número 1 en Waves según el Ranking de Fin de Año 2024 de VSG.
루멘 테크놀로지스 (NYSE: LUMN)와 시에나가 3,050킬로미터(1,800마일 이상)에서 1.2테라비트 파장 서비스 시험을 성공적으로 수행하여 획기적인 이정표를 세웠습니다. 이는 세계에서 가장 긴 1.2테라비트 비재생 신호를 나타냅니다.
덴버와 댈러스 간의 실시간 네트워크 시험은 시에나의 WaveLogic 6 Extreme 기술을 활용하였으며, 파장, 이더넷 및 IP 서비스의 성공적인 테스트를 입증했습니다. 이 시험은 또한 시에나의 Waveserver 플랫폼과 800 Gbps의 Juniper PTX10002-36QDD 패킷 전송 라우터 간의 상호 운용성을 보여주었습니다.
마이크로소프트는 이 성과가 증가하는 AI 작업 부하와 클라우드 애플리케이션을 지원하는 데 중요하다고 강조했습니다. 루멘의 400G 지원 네트워크는 현재 78,000마일 이상의 경로를 포함하고 있으며, 차세대 섬유 인프라에 대한 지속적인 투자를 하고 있습니다. 이 회사는 VSG의 2024년 연말 리더보드에 따라 Waves에서 1위 공급자로 자리매김하고 있습니다.
Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) et Ciena ont atteint un jalon révolutionnaire en réalisant avec succès un essai de service à longueur d'onde de 1,2 téraoctet sur une distance de 3 050 kilomètres (plus de 1 800 miles) sur le réseau en fibre Ultra-Low-Loss de Lumen. Cela représente le signal non régénéré de 1,2 téraoctet le plus long au monde.
L'essai de réseau en direct entre Denver et Dallas a utilisé la technologie WaveLogic 6 Extreme de Ciena et a démontré des tests réussis de services à longueur d'onde, Ethernet et IP. L'essai a également mis en évidence l'interopérabilité entre la plateforme Waveserver de Ciena et le routeur de transport de paquets Juniper PTX10002-36QDD à 800 Gbps.
Microsoft a souligné l'importance de cette réalisation pour soutenir la croissance des charges de travail en IA et des applications cloud. Le réseau 400G de Lumen s'étend actuellement sur plus de 78 000 miles de route, avec des investissements continus dans les infrastructures en fibre de nouvelle génération. L'entreprise maintient sa position de fournisseur numéro 1 dans les Waves selon le classement de fin d'année 2024 de VSG.
Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) und Ciena haben einen bahnbrechenden Meilenstein erreicht, indem sie erfolgreich einen 1,2 Terabit-Wellenlängen-Service-Test über 3.050 Kilometer (über 1.800 Meilen) im Ultra-Low-Loss-Glasfasernetz von Lumen durchgeführt haben. Dies stellt das weltweit längste 1,2 Terabit nicht regenerierte Signal dar.
Der Live-Netzwerktest zwischen Denver und Dallas nutzte die WaveLogic 6 Extreme-Technologie von Ciena und demonstrierte erfolgreiche Tests von Wellenlängen-, Ethernet- und IP-Diensten. Der Test zeigte auch die Interoperabilität zwischen Cienas Waveserver-Plattform und dem Juniper PTX10002-36QDD-Pakettransport-Router mit 800 Gbps.
Microsoft hob die Bedeutung dieses Erfolgs zur Unterstützung wachsender KI-Arbeitslasten und Cloud-Anwendungen hervor. Das 400G-fähige Netzwerk von Lumen erstreckt sich derzeit über mehr als 78.000 Streckenmeilen, mit fortlaufenden Investitionen in die Infrastruktur der nächsten Generation. Das Unternehmen behauptet laut VSGs Jahresend-2024-Leaderboard die Position als Anbieter Nr. 1 in Waves.
- Achieved world record for longest 1.2 Tbps wavelength transmission (3,050 km)
- Demonstrated successful interoperability with multiple high-performance platforms
- Maintains #1 market position in Waves for fourth consecutive year
- Network spans 78,000 route miles with 400G capability
- Strategic partnership with Microsoft for AI and cloud infrastructure
- None.
Insights
Lumen's successful 1.2 Tbps wavelength trial represents a significant technical milestone in optical networking. Achieving this data rate over 3,050 kilometers without signal regeneration demonstrates exceptional engineering that pushes the boundaries of Shannon's limit in fiber transmission.
The trial leverages Ciena's WaveLogic 6 Extreme technology on 3nm silicon—the most advanced coherent optics platform currently available—enabling 3x capacity improvement over typical 400G deployments. This provides Lumen substantial headroom for traffic growth without laying additional fiber, dramatically improving infrastructure economics.
Interoperability demonstrated with Juniper's PTX routers confirms the solution's readiness for real-world deployment across wavelength, Ethernet, and IP services. This multi-vendor approach gives Lumen flexibility in their technology stack while ensuring performance.
The strategic significance extends beyond raw speed. By increasing capacity per wavelength, Lumen can support more customers on existing fiber routes, reducing the cost per bit transmitted while scaling to meet hyperscaler demands. Their 78,000-mile ULL fiber network—the largest in North America—becomes substantially more valuable with this upgrade path.
For context, 1.2 Tbps can transmit approximately 150,000 HD movies simultaneously, providing the backbone capacity needed for data-intensive AI applications that increasingly drive network traffic.
This trial addresses a critical market need as AI workloads reshape network requirements. Microsoft's endorsement is particularly telling—hyperscalers are desperately seeking network solutions that can handle massive AI model training and inference traffic while maintaining performance.
The timing aligns perfectly with the industry's AI-driven transformation. As companies deploy more large language models (LLMs) and generative AI applications, the bandwidth requirements are growing exponentially. Cloud providers need networks that can efficiently move massive datasets between data centers without becoming bottlenecks.
This capability gives Lumen competitive differentiation in the high-margin wavelength services market, where they've already been recognized as the leader by both Frost & Sullivan and Vertical Systems Group. While AT&T and Verizon offer competing solutions, Lumen's demonstrated 1.2 Tbps capability over ultra-long-haul distances positions them favorably for hyperscaler contracts.
For enterprises adopting AI, the ability to move data at these speeds enables new possibilities in real-time analytics, ML model distribution, and edge computing. Financial services firms particularly benefit from the reduced latency and increased capacity for market data transport.
The seamless upgrade path from current 400G services to 1.2 Tbps allows customers to scale bandwidth as needs grow without architecture changes—a compelling proposition for organizations with rapidly expanding AI initiatives.
Network trial paves the way for hyperscalers and enterprises to have the bandwidth agility and cost-efficiency needed for AI and next-gen applications
Using 800G interfaces, Lumen and Ciena successfully tested and qualified the services to support wavelength, Ethernet, and IP services over the 1.2 Tbps single carrier channel. The live network trial from
"1.2 terabits per second isn't just about incredible speed and long distances, it's about the value of enabling the next wave of digital transformation. Lumen is at the forefront of building a next-generation network designed to handle the explosive growth of AI and cloud workloads," said Dave Ward, Lumen's chief technology and product officer. "Our investment in increased capacity, powered by Ciena's WaveLogic 6 technology, provides our hyperscale cloud partners and enterprises with the ultra-high-capacity connectivity needed to scale their AI and cloud applications. With 400G connectivity speeds today and a seamless upgrade path to 1.2 terabits, Lumen stands as the trusted network for AI."
The trial also showcased the impressive performance and seamless interoperability between Ciena's Waveserver platform and the Juniper PTX10002-36QDD Packet Transport Router at 800 Gbps over the ultra-long-haul 1.2 Tbps intercity network. By leveraging the performance, flexibility and scalability of the Juniper PTX Series Routers, Lumen successfully established Ethernet and IP services with minimal latency and zero packet loss throughout the tests.
Why it Matters
AI, cloud and security demands are pushing data transmission speeds to new limits. For hyperscalers and enterprises, the jump to 1.2 Tbps wavelength services unlocks next-gen AI, cloud and data-intensive applications while improving scalability and network efficiency.
"At Microsoft, the demand for ultra-high-speed, low-latency connectivity is growing exponentially as AI workloads, cloud applications, and real-time analytics scale," the company said. "Lumen and Ciena's successful wavelength trial showcases a forward-thinking approach to meeting these growing demands. By enabling more efficient data movement over vast distances, this solution helps us optimize cloud performance, enhance customer experiences, and support the rapid expansion of AI training and inferencing models across our global infrastructure."
Ciena's WL6e is the industry's first high-bandwidth coherent transceiver using state-of-the-art 3nm silicon, capable of carrying capacity up to 1.6 terabits per second per wavelength.
"As the pioneer in high-speed optical innovation, we are dedicated to helping our customers set new benchmarks in network performance and efficiency," said Brodie Gage, Ciena senior vice president, global products and supply chain. "This industry-first trial with Lumen marks a pivotal step in our efforts to prepare networks for the AI era. Lumen's network does not stand still. Continuous investment in the latest network technology is essential for keeping up with bandwidth demands today and into the future."
Faster connections up to 1.2 Tbps wavelengths means less lag, more capacity and the flexibility to handle the most data-hungry applications across multiple industries:
- AI & Machine Learning
- Hyperscale Cloud & Data Center Interconnects
- Financial Trading and Market Data Transport
- Cybersecurity & AI-powered Threat Intelligence
- Media & Streaming
The Lumen 400G-enabled network already spans over 78,000 route miles, and the company continues to invest in next-generation fiber to enhance its Ultra-Low Loss (ULL) fiber network, the largest in
Additional Resources:
- Frost & Sullivan named Lumen the 2024 Frost Radar Growth and Innovation Index leader for Wavelength Services in
North America . - Vertical Systems Group (VSG) Ranked Lumen #1 in Waves on their Year-End 2024 Leaderboard for the fourth consecutive year.
About Lumen Technologies
Lumen is unleashing the world's digital potential. We ignite business growth by connecting people, data, and applications – quickly, securely, and effortlessly. As the trusted network for AI, Lumen uses the scale of our network to help companies realize AI's full potential. From metro connectivity to long-haul data transport to our edge cloud, security, managed service, and digital platform capabilities, we meet our customers' needs today and as they build for tomorrow. For news and insights visit news.lumen.com, LinkedIn: /lumentechnologies, X: @lumentechco, Facebook: /lumentechnologies, Instagram: @lumentechnologies, and YouTube: /lumentechnologies.
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SOURCE Lumen Technologies
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