wiredInUSA November 2019

Exploring cost cuts

Fast fiber first

Image: Patric Pisal Hamida

Nokia and Etisalat have claimed a world first with the completion of a single-carrier terabit per second (Tbps) field trial. The trial achieved speeds of 50.8Tbps using multiple wavelengths, each with a net information rate of 1.3Tbps, over a 93km fiber route of Etisalat’s wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) network. “The introduction of 5G will require a network that can support dramatic increases in bandwidth in a dynamic fashion,” said Sam Bucci, head of optical networking at Nokia. Using a single optical carrier operating at 100 Gigabaud, the terabit wavelengths usedNokiaBell Labs-pioneeredprobabilistic constellation shaping (PCS) to intelligently shape the signal to achieve maximum capacity for the specific fiber route. Nokia’s PhotonicServiceEngine3 is thefirst coherent digital signal processor to implement PCS. Part of the team responsible for working on the trial

Patric Pisal Hamida, CEO of Telecom Malagasy (Telma), has described efforts by the Madagascan government to reduce broadband prices as a “false good idea”. Mr Hamida’s comments follow a decree, issued in May 2019, intended to liberalise Madagascar’s fiber optic infrastructure by permitting licensed operators to construct, install and deploy new optic cables. He believes that, rather than duplicating existing resources, a better, and more economically viable, alternative would be to facilitate infrastructure sharing. Mr Hamida also advocated a reduction in exciseduty andpromised to reduce Telma’s prices by 50 percent if the government were to cut duty by five percent.

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wiredInUSA November 2019