Cisco Systems Inc says it has completed a 100G technology test with the North West branch of MegaFon, one of the three largest mobile operators in Russia. Cisco and MegaFon specialists successfully tested data transmission at the rate of 100 Gbps in an existing MegaFon DWDM network.

During the testing Cisco 100G platforms  were successfully incorporated in fiber-optic networks based on other vendors’ technologies. Cisco says the results prove that its 100G products are compatible with different manufacturers’ products, can be effectively used for multiple purposes, feature simplicity of configuration and usage, and prevent the necessity of deploying guard bands.

The project was aimed at testing the effectiveness and interworking of Cisco 100G transponders, Cisco ASR 9000 Series Aggregation Services Routers and the Cisco ONS 15454 Multiservice Transport Platform (MSTP) at the distances of 140 and 384 km (87 and 239 miles). In addition, the 100G equipment was tested over dark fiber at 60 and 120 km (37 and 74 miles).

Cisco ASR 9000 Series routers were used as the network core, as they had been designed as the foundational baseline for next-generation Carrier Ethernet networks.

The 100G services were supported by Cisco DWDM transponders tuned to 192.6 GHz (1556.55 nm). The transponders can operate at a distance well in excess of 2,000 km (1,243 miles) without signal regeneration, and they feature high performance and port density, thus enabling 100G technologies in networks of any complexity, Cisco asserts.

All parameters of the DWDM network were configured automatically by the smart-management subsystem and optical channel power control tools integrated in the Cisco ONS 15454 MSTP. During the test the traffic was transferred at 100 Gbps without failure and degradation of existing 10-Gbps services, showing investment protection on the installed network and existing fiber plant.

"Cisco offers innovative solutions for next-generation DWDM networks, opening new opportunities for service providers,” said Sergey Semenov, CTO, North West Branch, MegaFon. “The testing proved that Cisco products show high performance over DWDM network, as well as over ‘dark fiber,’ providing versatility and flexibility in implementation. Besides, the 100G services are compatible with existing services, avoiding the necessity of guard bands. Thus, the operator can maximize the potentiality of network bandwidth.”