DE-CIX chooses Smartoptics DCP-404 for 100G aggregation into 400G DWDM

The solution comes in a small form factor, is engineered to increase fibre utilisation, and improves cost efficiency in a number of ways.

DE-CIX provides premium network interconnection services at close to 40 locations across Europe, the Middle East, North America, Africa, India, and Asia. Founded in 1995, DE-CIX is home to the world’s largest carrier and data centre neutral interconnection ecosystem. Its Frankfurt Internet Exchange, comprising 37 data centres and over 1,100 networks, sees almost 12 terabits of traffic per second during peak times.

Given the large number of customer interconnections within the Internet Exchange’s data centres, cost-efficient use of fibre is a decisive factor. With the Smartoptics DCP-404 muxponder paired with 400G transceivers, DE-CIX found a solution to greatly increase fibre utilisation.

“Smartoptics has once again exceeded our expectations on several fronts. First of all, we were impressed with the short lead times for both the muxponder and the transceivers to our data centre locations across multiple continents. We were also pleasantly surprised by how small and efficient the DCP-404 is while offering low latency. The solution delivers more capacity per wavelength, maximizing what we get out of each fibre. This allows us to significantly cut our cross connect lease expenses and make our offering even more competitive,” says Dr. Thomas King, CTO DE-CIX.

DE-CIX and Smartoptics have a history of successful collaboration as DE-CIX began to deploy Smartoptics open line systems in 2021 to upgrade its backbone network, positioning the Internet Exchange operator as a 400G pioneer. The DCP-404 aligns well with forward-looking 400G-based strategies by making it possible to run low-cost 100G over 400G more efficiently.

“The capability to run four 100G links over 400G, using only one fibre instead of four, in such a compact and efficient form factor is unique in the market. By simply adding more DCP-404s into a single rack unit, it is even possible to expand capacity further. We engineered the DCP-404 muxponder to fill an important gap in the market, leveraging the latest technology to offer a whole new level of cost efficiency. With this new muxponder we are empowering major Internet Exchange operators like DE-CIX and enterprise DCI customers alike to break free from the high costs of fibre cross connects,” says Magnus Grenfeldt, CEO Smartoptics.