Interconnecting data centres and remote sites used to be a complex business requiring technical specialists. Not any longer! Today, anyone with access to dark fibre and modern switches/routers can easily create 100G or even 400G links between sites over most distances. The reasons for this are the recent and rapid developments in optical transmission technologies and the integration of pluggable DWDM optics into the IP router and switching ports of data networks.
Using light to carry information is nothing new. Optical telegraphs placed on hills were deployed already in the 18th century. Today, light is guided through optical fibres between the routers and switches of our data centres. By utilising laser light of different colours (i.e., unique wavelengths), multiple signals can be sent over one single fibre pair. This is the basis for Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) – a fundamental technology that multiplies the capacity of an optical fibre. The wavelengths can be “packed” in various ways in such a system; hence we talk about Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) and Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing (CWDM).
Routers and switches are normally not capable of generating the WDM wavelengths themselves. However, most switches/routers accept pluggable optical transceivers which can be connected to an open line system from Smartoptics. Such “embedded” IP over DWDM systems offer the smallest possible footprint and the lowest power consumption for data centre interconnect, while leveraging the standardised and open interfaces of the networking equipment.
As technology improves, we see coherent 100G and 400G DWDM transceivers move from legacy CFP type form factors to more data centre-friendly ones like QSFP28 and QSFP-DD. This technology shift makes IPoDWDM the logical technology moving forward, especially when you think about the power, space, and equipment saved over more traditional DWDM networks.
The UK optical communication and networking market is part of a global market valued at approximately $21.82 billion in 2023, with an expected CAGR of 8.7% from 2024 to 2032. The exponential growth of data traffic from video streaming, cloud computing, IoT devices, and 5G networks is driving the demand for high-speed optical communication solutions. Advanced technologies like Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) are being increasingly adopted to support higher bandwidth and faster data transmission rates.
The UK has seen significant investments in data centres to address the rising demand for cloud services. Optical networks in the UK are capable of achieving extremely high speeds, up to 100G and beyond, which is essential for maintaining network reliability and performance across diverse applications.
The transceivers and line systems are supplied by Smartoptics, a Scandinavian company founded in 2006 by a group of entrepreneurs wanting to build more cost-efficient and flexible optical communication systems. Since then, Smartoptics has grown to become a leading supplier of optical devices and complete optical solutions, all based on this open, standardised network approach. Thousands of enterprises, governments, Internet exchanges, and telecom operators worldwide are now leveraging the products from Smartoptics to take advantage of the new era of optical communications.
As we move forward, the question isn’t whether to adopt IP over DWDM, but rather how quickly can we integrate these advancements to stay ahead of the curve? Are you ready to leverage the power of Smartoptics’ solutions to enhance your network’s performance and reliability?
