100 Gbps Hits Rapid-Fire Rollout

Brian Washburn

Summary Bullets:

• 100 Gbps wavelength deployments were pushed back repeatedly.  However, providers are now in full swing, lighting 100 Gbps coherent wavelength services for commercial and wholesale clients.
• The new 100 Gbps speeds benefit some situations, but they are not yet cheaper than buying a fistful of 10 Gbps waves.

The first major trials for 100 Gbps wavelength services started in 2009, and the hype began gathering steam in 2010.  While some providers took an interim step and supported 40 Gbps, industry consensus seemed to be that 100 Gbps would be out in time to make 40G waves obsolete.  It took two years longer than some expected, but 100 Gbps long-haul wavelengths services are now being lit.  Most adopters are lighting the higher speeds for their own internal use, but a few are also offering the option for wholesale and content customers.