MCI Moves Closer To An All-Optical Network
(05/01/98; 6:03 p.m. ET)
By Kate Gerwig, InternetWeek
techweb.com
A mathematical theory first set forth in 1834 is helping
MCI move closer to its goal of running an all-optical
network. Every theory has its time, and after 164 years,
this one finally found its first real-world application.
Using Soliton wave division multiplexing (WDM)
technology developed by Pirelli Cables and Systems,
MCI recently completed a two-month network trial that
sent data three times as far as it can travel today without
being reshaped, then sent again by electrical
regeneration equipment. Rather than sending light pulses
300 kilometers before having to reshape them, MCI
sent single streams of 10-Gbps data traffic more than
900 kilometers.
The relevance? Longer-traveling wavelengths reduce
the amount of electrical equipment needed to send data
long distances. That translates to lower operating costs
for providers and increased network reliability for
customers.
"This is a fundamentally new approach to building
optical transmission systems that we think has a lot of
potential," said Jack Wimmer, MCI's executive director
of network technology and planning. "Using dense
wavelength division multiplexing technology, we have to
put a separate electrical regenerator on each
wavelength. Any time I can avoid putting those in the
network, I've taken out a very significant cost element."
Customers wouldn't necessarily choose MCI for its
Soliton technology, Wimmer said, but they might
choose MCI because the technology will improve
network performance, allow providers to add capacity
more quickly, and improve quality of service because of
increased bandwidth availability.
"Anything that reduces the cost of networking and at the
same time allows for the utilization of WDM is a good
thing. If MCI can do something like this, hopefully cost
reductions will be passed along to their customers," said
TeleChoice analyst Deb Mielke.
MCI worked with the Italy-based Pirelli to get an
engineering version of Soliton ready for a trial. The
technology will not be ready for commercial
deployment for approximately 18 to 24 months,
Wimmer said.
MCI conducted its trial in January and February on a
Chicago to St. Louis route that is not yet used to carry
customer traffic.
"We will be very aggressive in deploying it," Wimmer
said. "We wanted to take Soliton out of the conceptual
stage and start to learn what it really takes to engineer
these systems. They're not plug and play. That's why
we'll be able to leverage the technology sooner than
some others."
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