Colt and Windstream run 800 GbE trial and plan commercial launch

The firms were keen to point out that this is a big deal in network capacity terms and there are no prizes for guessing what they believe will be the main driver of demand for this type of high-speed subsea connectivity: AI.

We're still in the preparation – and hype – stage of artificial intelligence, with companies ploughing significant amounts of money into data centre and networking capabilities with an eye on future AI needs. The commercial reality of these AI-driven applications might yet be some way off, but the technology still needs to keep pace.

In the trial the companies connected one of Colt's five transatlantic subsea cables and part of its terrestrial fibre network to Windstream Wholesale's domestic network in the US. As such they were able to demonstrate what they say is the world's first transoceanic 800 GbE end-to-end service transport from router to router over 1 Tbps optical transport.

The trial also used equipment from Nokia – coherent optics and high-performance routing platforms – to boost Internet service speeds and support ultra-high wavelength capacity while also maintaining power efficiency.

"Pushing the boundaries of technology innovation is a fundamental part of our customer commitment: it means we stay a step ahead of the market, so we're ready when our customers ask, 'What's next for us?'" said Buddy Bayer, Chief Operating Officer of Colt Technology Services, in an unusually creative canned quote.

"This trial has seen us build a powerful industry collaboration to explore the 'what's next?' It's tested the limits of infrastructure performance and capability across thousands of miles of land and sea with incredible networking technologies, and it's demonstrated the power and potential of what can be achieved, without skipping a beat," he said.

The trial took place over an 8,500 km subsea and terrestrial route, incidentally.

Bayer did not specify exactly what he believes is next for his customers, despite the current trend in this industry to throw 'AI' into just about every sentence. However, Windstream Wholesale president Joe Scattareggia was ready to step up.

"Our latest innovation represents a true game-changer for global connectivity. By partnering with two extraordinary leaders in the industry, we're enabling unprecedented bandwidth capabilities that are essential for driving AI-powered applications worldwide for our customers," he said. "As an optical technology leader, Windstream Wholesale and our partners are establishing 800GbE as the next evolutionary advancement increase for wave services. This collaboration has pushed the boundaries of what's possible, creating a network solution like no other. Together, we're not just meeting the demands of the future – we're shaping it," he said.

The companies have got a commercial launch in mind, but are not giving much away at this stage.

"Following the successful completion of the trial, the organizations are currently exploring options to bring 800GbE connectivity services to market for global business customers," they said.