Ribbon and ECI’s launch 400 Gigabit Ethernet blades for faster downloads

Westford, Mass. and PETACH TIKVA, Israel – March 5, 2020 – Ribbon Communications Inc. and ECI Telecom Group Ltd. (together, “Ribbon-ECI”), a global provider of global communications software and network solutions to service providers, enterprises, and critical infrastructure sectors today announced the launch of 400 Gigabit Ethernet (400GbE) muxponders (multiplexing transponders) for transport to the new generation of 400GbE router interfaces over the wide area network (WAN). Ribbon and ECI announced the close of their merger on March 3, 2020.

Trends in mobility, the growing adoption of cloud-based platforms and applications and the escalating consumption of video are continuously driving demand for expanded capacity and bandwidth. The forthcoming widespread availability of 5G will only accelerate this pressure, and while today’s router speeds are consistently increasing to keep pace, interfaces to the optical network have remained limited. By offering 400GbE speeds on its TM800E/TM1200E blades, Ribbon-ECI is ushering in the next generation of interface speeds.

Designed for Ribbon-ECI’s Apollo optical networking system, the new blades can instantly boost client interface speeds to 400GbE.  Modulation rates on these blades are programmable, enabling customers to easily maximize transport distance and spectral efficiency on both flexible grid and 50GHz or 100GHz fixed grid networks. TM800E/TM1200E blades are capable of supporting long haul transport deployments of up to 3,000 kilometers and complement Ribbon-ECI’s TM1200, which provides line side flexibility up to 600G.

“By enabling both greenfield flex-grid and brownfield fixed-grid deployment, we are fulfilling our commitment to delivering ELASTIC networks,” said Rafi Leiman, head of the optical line of business at Ribbon-ECI.  “We are making the adoption of 400GbE faster, easier, and more affordable for existing, prospective and future customers.”

Leiman added, “All market indicators suggest that 400GbE routers will experience much faster uptake than previous generations. In fact, we already have orders for these new blades and are planning deployments this spring.”

Ribbon-ECI’s Apollo product line offers a family of optical transport and switching platforms, which interwork seamlessly to provide scalable, high-density and energy-efficient solutions from access to core, with up to 600G (gigabit per second) transmission and 16T of Optical Transport Network (OTN) switching. The Apollo product line is built for smooth, expandable capacity, rapid provisioning, dynamic reconfiguration and intelligent operations.

“The widespread availability of 400GbE is expected to deliver faster downloads, less congestion, and an improved user-experience on both existing networks and new deployments.” added Leiman.