Infinera Goes Multi-Terabit

In an announcement that investors will welcome, Infinera (NASDAQ:INFN, news, filings) today formally unveiled its next generation of PICs based on coherent 100Gbps technology. Each DTN-X PIC will support 5x100Gbps of traffic, ten of which can be linked up to behave as a single 5Tbps virtual switch. It will have OTN switching built in as well as MPLS, and is being positioned as a core packet-optical transport system.

Customers making encouraging noises for the rollout included not just longtime partners XO and Interoute, but also Verizon Business – offering a hint that the Tier 1 carriers might be taking a closer look. The DTN-X is not available immediately, but will go on the shelves in the first half of 2012 – a schedule aimed at giving the company the necessary firepower to go after the mainstream 100Gbps adopters that should be ready to buy next year. For now though, their 40Gbps coherent PICS are fully ready for use in their original DTN systems.

But what is available now is their 40Gbps coherent PICS for their original systems. Last year, Infinera ditched its original 40Gbps plans and decided to go for coherent 100Gbps directly with 40Gbps along the way. The timing delay has led to revenue growth challenges for the company, but if they pull off a true 100Gbps PIC offering that challenges the economics of other entries before the 100Gbps market really takes off – it will surely be worth it.

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Categories: Internet Backbones · Telecom Equipment