Windstream Wholesale announced the successful completion of a industry-first trial of Ciena's WaveLogic 6 Extreme (WL6e) 2x1.2Tb with 3x800G Wave services. This milestone, achieved in collaboration with Ciena, represents a significant leap forward in optical network innovation. The trial took place over a 1,590-kilometer route from Virginia Beach to Jacksonville, Fla., utilizing Ciena's Reconfigurable Line System (RLS) deployed on Windstream Wholesale's unique high-capacity Beach Route.
Windstream Wholesale is the first in the industry to trial 3x 800G services over mated WL6e wavelengths. This pioneering initiative showcased the ultra-long-haul and high client-side bandwidth capabilities of Ciena's WL6e technology to support multiple 800G Wave services beyond 1,590 kilometers without regeneration, offering transformative benefits for ultra-long-haul applications. This technological advancement is poised to meet the requirements of forthcoming multiple 800G service demands, on top of the existing large demands for Nx400G services.
The successful deployment of Ciena's W L6e technology promises several advantages for Windstream Wholesale's customers, including enhanced connectivity solutions with greater scalability, flexibility, and reliability. This innovation is particularly beneficial for high-bandwidth applications, supporting emerging business needs and driving future sales of Nx800G services. Windstream Wholesale plans to begin selling 800G Wave services in the second half of 2025 over its Intelligent Converged Optical Network backbone.
