Optical cable removes barriers to delivering 800G

Author: Joe Peck

A new proposal for long-haul optical network cables aims to ‘break through the glass ceiling’ of data transmission limits to ensure the ever-growing demands of data centres can be supplied.

A new whitepaper from fibre cable experts Acome Group and Sumitomo Electric Industries says that existing optical fibre cables will only be able to meet the long-term transmission capacity needs of European data centres at a significantly higher cost and degraded environmental footprint.

Conventional G.652.D optical fibres struggle to transmit data rates at and above 800 Gb/s over distances further than a few hundred kilometres. Over longer distances, such as between two data centres, signal regeneration or additional optical amplification is needed which adds complexity and costs for network owners.

“With AI, cloud services, and the growth of hyperscale data centres dramatically increasing demand for bandwidth, telecom infrastructure must evolve to support high-capacity, long-distance transmission,” comments Xavier Renard, Telecom Marketing Director at ACOME. “It’s also crucial that we consider the longevity of the network. A network is not a static asset. It’s constantly evolving, so it’s essential that the fibre used is correctly selected to support future bandwidth over decades of use.”

Acome and Sumitomo Electric have developed a new hybrid solution that aims to allow network operators to deploy a single, universal cable that supports both current and future network needs. Upgrading to 800G and above requires fewer repeaters to amplify the optical signals and can also avoid the need for signal regeneration.

Their solution combines two existing fibre grades to provide a cable solution that should enable longer transmission distances, higher data rates per wavelength, and reduced infrastructure requirements – all of which are key enablers of energy-efficient, scalable, and future-proof optical transport networks.

“PureAdvance fibres, compliant with ITU-T G.654.E, are contributing to evolve long-term network and transmission technologies. For example, combining G.654.E with G.652.D can maximise flexibility and futureproof the network,” adds Fumiyoshi Ohkubo, General Manager, Market Development & Engineering Department of Optical Fiber & Cable Division at Sumitomo Electric.

This hybrid approach intends to create pathways for future upgrades to high-capacity, using coherent transmission, and enable a smoother migration to next-generation network architectures without needing full infrastructure overhauls.