Arelion and Infinera set new benchmark for 400G ZR+ deployments in live network field trial

San Jose, Calif., and Stockholm – March 6, 2023 – Infinera (NASDAQ: INFN) and Arelion announced today a record-setting transmission of 400 gigabits per second (400 Gb/s) wavelengths using a QSFP-DD pluggable coherent transceiver over 1,800 kilometers (km) of SMF-28 fiber in a live production network. This milestone in point-to-point optical networking was achieved by leveraging Infinera’s ICE-X 400G ZR+ intelligent pluggable coherent transceiver across Arelion’s production transmission network on routes between Dallas, Memphis, and Chattanooga. 

In addition to the record-setting performance at 400 Gb/s, the field trial demonstrated the powerful programmability of Infinera’s ICE-X intelligent pluggable coherent solution. By adjusting the modulation of the optical signal in the same pluggable coherent solution, the companies also demonstrated long-distance performance at 300 Gb/s and 200 Gb/s using a QSFP-DD pluggable. These achievements were made possible by leveraging Arelion’s open and disaggregated networking approach over its live network with concurrently deployed wavelengths, including those of third-party solution providers. Disaggregation will enable Arelion to continue to integrate the latest optical pluggable components to dynamically scale its network and provide its customers with cost-efficient, high-capacity bandwidth services over long distances.

“We are pleased to once again partner with Infinera,” said Georgios Tologlou, Senior Network Architect at Arelion. “We were early investors in optical pluggable components to drive demonstrable value and cost-efficiency for our customers. Lab trials with perfect fiber are one thing. But we are not afraid to test these pluggables in live networks over the same fiber we’re using for live traffic, so we were happy to demonstrate the real-world potential of Infinera’s new coherent pluggable technology when implemented through Arelion’s open and disaggregated network architecture.”

“Through collaboration with Arelion, this record-breaking achievement represents a significant milestone in the evolution of coherent optical solutions,” said Tom Burns, General Manager of the Optical Modules and Coherent Solutions Group at Infinera. “The trial demonstrates the level of performance that can be achieved in a QSFP-DD form factor powered by Infinera’s ICE-X technology and coupled with the power of open optical networking principles applied in Arelion’s live network.”  
 

Contacts:

Arelion
Martin Sjögren, Senior Manager PR and Analyst Relations
+46 (0)707 770 522
martin.sjogren@arelion.com

Infinera Media
Anna Vue
Tel. +1 (916) 595-8157
avue@infinera.com   

Investors
Amitabh Passi
Head of Investor Relations
Tel. +1 (669) 295-1489
apassi@infinera.com

Media Contact
Jeannette Bitz, Engage PR for Arelion
+1 510 295 4972
jbitz@engagepr.com

About Arelion

Arelion solves global connectivity challenges for multinational enterprises whose businesses rely on digital infrastructure. On top of the world’s #1 ranked IP backbone and a unique ecosystem of cloud and network service providers, we provide an award-winning customer experience to customers in more than 128 countries worldwide. Our global Internet services connect more than 700 cloud, security and content providers with low latency. For further resilience, our private Cloud Connect service connects directly to Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud and Oracle cloud across North America, Europe and Asia. Discover more at www.arelion.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Infinera

Infinera is a global supplier of innovative open optical networking solutions and advanced optical semiconductors that enable carriers, cloud operators, governments, and enterprises to scale network bandwidth, accelerate service innovation, and automate network operations. Infinera solutions deliver industry-leading economics and performance in long-haul, submarine, data center interconnect, and metro transport applications. To learn more about Infinera, visit www.infinera.com, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, and subscribe for updates.  

Infinera and the Infinera logo are registered trademarks of Infinera Corporation.
 
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the technical and performance capabilities of Infinera’s ICE-X pluggable coherent technology. These statements are not guarantees of results and should not be considered as an indication of future activity or future performance. Actual results may vary materially from these expectations as a result of various risks and uncertainties. Information about these risks and uncertainties, and other risks and uncertainties that affect Infinera’s business, is contained in the risk factors section and other sections of Infinera’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year ended December 31, 2022 as filed with the SEC on February 27, 2023, as well as any subsequent reports filed with or furnished to the SEC. These reports are available on Infinera’s website at www.infinera.com and the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies and can be identified by words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “should,” “will,” and “would” or similar words. Infinera assumes no obligation to, and does not currently intend to, update any such forward-looking statements.

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