Faster Fiber Links for Data Centers

Data centers that host massive amounts of content and cloud computing are at the center of the global information network. Equipment-makers are racing to keep up with the rapid growth of content and demand for bandwidth to process and distribute all of this information around the world.

Feeding the hungry network beast has become a big business, and one of the leaders in that effort is introducing a new record-setting system this week at the Optical Fiber Communications Conference (OFC), cosponsored by IEEE, which is being held March 3 to 8 in San Diego.

Ciena's new WaveLogic 5 Extreme system can transmit 800 gigabits of data per second on a single wavelength of light through up to 200 kilometers of optical fiber. The company says it will begin deliveries by year-end.