Vienna, 28. March 2014

  • Successful field trial on pan-European network
  • Fourfold increase in data rates from 100G to 400G via existing fiber optic cables
  • Rising data volumes require timely planning for future networks
  • Joint field trial with technology partner Alcatel-Lucent

The Telekom Austria Group has successfully tested the 400G high-speed technology between Zagreb in Croatia and Ljubljana in Slovenia, demonstrating once again its innovative strength. This field trial was conducted between February 24 and March 6, 2014 and focused on testing the 400 Gbit/s technology on already existing fibre optic cables.

"The continuing increase in data volumes in the years to come will require the timely planning of new technologies over long-distance networks. The use of digital services will become increasingly important going forward. The smooth transmission of voice telephony, mobile and fixed net Internet as well as high-definition cable television is an important precondition to be able to meet the needs of an ever-growing customer base," said Günther Ottendorfer, Chief Technology Officer Telekom Austria Group, explaining the rationale behind this trial.

High-speed transmissions demand increasingly powerful networks between the most important hubs, not only within Austria, but also at an international level. Especially for companies operating on a global scale, a high-quality network is imperative. Against this backdrop, Telekom Austria Group's high-performance backbone networks play a crucial role particularly for services such as business applications e.g. bank transactions, CRM and SAP systems, which are of utmost importance for Wholesale customers. This is why the Group seeks to test technologies in corresponding field trials as early as possible to be sure it can make important timely decisions for future network planning. In this way, investments in high-speed technologies and high-performance networks for the coming decades can be best prepared. 

The continuing increase in data volumes in the years to come will require the timely planning of new technologies over long-distance networks.

Günther Ottendorfer

Chief Technology Officer, Telekom Austria Group

Jointly with its longstanding technology partner Alcatel-Lucent, Telekom Austria Group's experts and technicians were able to demonstrate via this field trial that, between the capitals Zagreb and Ljubljana, it is possible to achieve a fourfold increase in data rates from 100 Gbit/s to 400 Gbit/s using already existing fiber optic cables.

Luis Martinez Amago, President Europe, Middle East and Africa of Alcatel-Lucent said: "This is the latest in a growing number of trials that show how our 400G Photonic Service Engine can boost the performance of today's optical transport networks. Following the announcement last year of our work with Telekom Austria to deliver 100G technology, this trial further highlights both our leadership in Optical Networking as well as our understanding of Telekom Austria's need for innovation. Alcatel-Lucent's 400G solution will help the company ensure the reliable transport of high-demand residential and mission-critical business services."

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