Virgin Media is trialling Infinera’s XR Optics technology with the aim of using it to provide multi-gigabit speeds to customers.
Jeanie York, Chief Technology and Information Officer at Virgin Media, said:
“Our next-generation network already offers gigabit connectivity to more than seven million homes, but with data use and demand for hyperfast speeds surging, we’re continually investing in our network to prepare for whatever the future brings. Innovations like this ensure our customers continue to benefit from the UK’s fastest widely available speeds, pave the way for future network upgrades and help support the rollout of multi-gigabit broadband and mobile services.”
Infinera’s XR Optics is designed to overcome the limits of traditional point-to-point optical transmission. It uses coherent optical subcarrier aggregation within a pluggable, software-driven architecture to lower the cost and complexity of deploying and operating optical networks.
Instead of conventional transceivers, XR Optics deploys advanced modules that effectively split a single fibre into multiple logical connections, increasing capacity and flexibility on existing fibre infrastructure.
(Image Credit: Infinera)
These upgraded transceivers operate with passive optical network (PON) principles, allowing remote configuration and future software-driven reconfiguration by network operators.
Virgin Media installed Infinera’s XR Optics in Reading and reported that the plug-in equipment reached transfer rates of up to 400 Gbps over a single fibre, demonstrating substantial capacity gains without replacing the entire fibre plant.
Dave Welch, Chief Innovation Officer and Co-Founder of Infinera, commented:
“The trial with Virgin Media provides a solid proof point that Infinera’s XR optics technology can be seamlessly applied to existing networks. This represents a radical shift in the way networks can be built, promising a more flexible and sustainable way to meet the ever-increasing need to transmit more data at higher speeds.”
This trial builds on earlier work by Virgin Media. In 2019 the company demonstrated 10 Gbps symmetric broadband in Papworth, Cambridgeshire; the current test shows that its PON architecture can scale to far higher capacities, reaching 400 Gbps in a single fibre.
Rising data consumption — a trend expected to accelerate as more 5G traffic routes to and from mobile masts — makes experiments like this important for preparing networks to handle future demand. Technologies that increase per-fibre capacity and simplify upgrades can help operators deliver faster, more efficient services to consumers and businesses alike.
(Photo by Marc-Olivier Jodoin on Unsplash)
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