Ciena achieves landmark with over 100,000 WaveLogic 5 800G units delivered

This technology underpins the infrastructure of both metro and long-distance networks, as well as undersea cables, catering to the escalating demands for bandwidth while enhancing energy efficiency.

The WL5e by Ciena has introduced scalability, programmability, energy efficiency, and cost-effectiveness to leading service and content providers globally. As the first 800G solution in the industry, WL5e has adjustable capacity ranging from 200G to 800G, with the capability to transition to widespread 400GbE connectivity, catering to any network segment. Moreover, Ciena's portfolio includes the WaveLogic 5 Nano, designed for space-efficient implementations, offering 100-400G pluggable coherent optics.

Noteworthy achievements

• Over 250 customers in 68 countries worldwide now use WL5e
• The collective data transmission capacity of the 100,000 WL5e modems exceeds 50 Petabits/sec, which is equivalent to the global population streaming HD videos simultaneously with capacity to spare
• The energy savings from the shipment of these 100,000 WL5e modems is akin to an annual reduction in CO2 emissions of over 82,000 metric tonnes, comparable to saving 9 million gallons of petrol
• A single WL5e modem is so compact it can fit in your hand, and 100,000 of these modems, if piled, would measure less than a third of a kilometre in height
• Since its debut in 2008, the WaveLogic product suite has provided up to a 40-fold increase in fibre capacity and a reduction in power consumption by more than 90% per Gbps for Ciena's customers

Executive insights

Jimmy Yu, Vice President, and the Head of Optical Transport Market Research at Dell’Oro Group remarked: “With the launch of WaveLogic 5, Ciena established a commanding lead in 800G technology. The substantial volume of shipments we’ve seen underscores the strong market demand for high-efficiency coherent solutions, a trend we expect to continue with the next evolution of speed technology, like the 1.6-Tbps capable WaveLogic 6. This will be a vital technology for the sustainable expansion of networks to meet a bandwidth demand that grows by 30% annually. We project that in five years, more than half of the capacity enhancements will be driven by DWDM systems equipped with sixth-generation coherent DSPs.”

Dino DiPerna, Senior Vice President of Global Research & Development at Ciena, stated: “Surpassing the 100,000-unit mark for shipped WaveLogic 5 Extreme modems marks a significant milestone for Ciena, affirming the calibre of our technology and our extensive global presence. Our commitment to advancing optical performance is relentless, and our customers have already placed orders for the forthcoming WaveLogic 6 technology, which is slated for delivery next year.”

Continuing to innovate, Ciena introduced WaveLogic 6 in February 2023, set to support up to 1.6Tb/s single-carrier wavelengths for metro ROADM deployments, 800Gb/s over the longest distances, and energy-efficient 800G pluggables over 1,000km. WL6 will be incorporated across a variety of Ciena’s optical, routing, and switching platforms, and will also be available for integration into third-party solutions.