Ribbon And Cisco Unveil 1.2Tbps Optical Transmission Interoperability At OFC 2024

In a significant stride towards enhancing global communication networks, Ribbon Communications Inc., in collaboration with Cisco, has announced a breakthrough in optical transmission technology. This achievement, set to be showcased at OFC 2024, marks the first reported display of interoperable multivendor ecosystem capable of delivering the highest commercial transmission speeds currently available.

At the heart of this technological advancement are the Ribbon Apollo 9408 and the Cisco NCS 1014. Both devices incorporate Acacia's CIM 8 140Gbaud transceiver and adhere to the OpenROADM bookended model for transponder interoperability. This model has been extended to support multiple vendors, a move that signifies a departure from the industry's traditional focus on single-vendor solutions.

"We're launching a new era with this demonstration and showcasing a proven interoperable multivendor ecosystem for high-performance optical transmission," stated Sam Bucci, Chief Operating Officer at Ribbon. The partnership between Ribbon and Cisco aims to provide network operators with the confidence to achieve 1.2T transmission speeds without being confined to proprietary solutions.

Kyle Hollasch, Lead Analyst for Transport Hardware at Cignal AI, highlighted the rarity of interoperability in optical networking. He emphasized the value network operators will gain from opening their networks to multiple vendors while maintaining superior performance levels.

Bill Gartner, SVP/GM Optical Systems and Optics at Cisco, pointed out the challenges network operators face with the advent of AI and other emerging technologies. The complexity of managing multi-vendor networks to meet the demand for faster speeds is a significant hurdle that this collaboration aims to overcome.

Ribbon Communications is a global provider of real-time communications technology and IP optical networking solutions. The company is committed to helping its customers modernize their networks for improved competitive positioning and business outcomes in today's smart, always-on, and data-hungry world. Ribbon's innovative solutions portfolio offers unparalleled scale, performance, and agility across various sectors including service providers, enterprises, and critical infrastructure sectors globally.

This collaboration between Ribbon Communications and Cisco not only demonstrates their commitment to innovation but also highlights their dedication to providing flexible and high-performance solutions that meet the evolving needs of network operators worldwide.