Internet2 Trials 400GE Link of 2200km between Chicago and Denver

Ciena, Internet2, and Juniper Networks confirmed last successfully passing live traffic over a 1,367-mile (2200km) circuit using a single 400 gigabit Ethernet link between Chicago and Denver, the first such occurrence for an advanced research and education (R&E) network. The live traffic ran cleanly during a trial between StarLight in Chicago and SCinet at the SC Conference in Denver this week on the 400 gigabit Ethernet link connecting two Juniper PTX 10003 core routers. 

The end-to-end 400G path between Chicago and Denver was achieved using a newly installed open line system capable of 400G and 800G wavelengths that Internet2, Ciena, and CenturyLink are deploying as the first segments of Internet2’s Next Generation Infrastructure program. 

Internet2 is a non-profit, member-driven advanced technology community founded by the nation's leading higher education institutions in 1996. Internet2 serves 320 U.S. universities, 60 government agencies, 43 regional and state education networks and through them supports more than 100,000 community anchor institutions, close to 1,000 InCommon participants, and 58 leading corporations working with our community, and 70 national research and education network partners that represent more than 100 countries. 

The 400 gigabit Ethernet link on the new Internet2 open line system is utilizing state-of-the-art solutions from Ciena that will ultimately extend network programmability and scalability to our regional partners. Together with services from CenturyLink and demonstration switches from Juniper this SC Conference deployment is a model example of the kind of capacity we expect the U.S. R&E community to benefit from with the Next Generation Infrastructure program.” 

Internet2 recently selected the latest photonic and coherent optical innovations from Ciena to transform its network to a more open, scalable, programmable, and adaptive architecture. Utilizing Ciena’s WaveLogic 5 Extreme coherent optics will help improve network programmability and scalability to create one of the industry’s most advanced and open infrastructures. With programmable capacity from 200G to 800G, Ciena's WaveLogic 5 Extreme brings new levels of scale, programmability, and economics to optical networking and the ability, for the first time, to evolve to simple, ubiquitous 400GbE client connect across any path in the network.

Internet2 delivered the world’s longest research and education 400 gigabit Ethernet link between Chicago and Denver using its national fiber footprint following a recent upgrade to its open line system that utilizes CenturyLink’s fiber, making the research and education network capable of 400G and 800G wavelengths.

The circuit was made possible through application of Ciena’s 6500 WLAi 200G channel at 56 Gbaud. No Raman amps were needed and no signal regeneration was required. The production traffic ran clean on the 400 gigabit Ethernet link which connected to two Juniper PTX 10003 core routers that aggregated traffic on each end.