SURF, the collaborative organisation for IT in Dutch education and research, continues to push the boundaries of optical communication.

In a strategic partnership with Ribbon, SURF successfully achieved 800G over an existing 1,650 km fibre-optic link. This link connects renowned research institutes, including Nikhef, to the Large Hadron Collider on the CERN campus in Geneva, marking a significant milestone in optical communication.

The trial demonstrated several of Ribbon’s advanced transport solutions:

• Apollo TM800_2, using 5nm-140Gbaud transmission technology, optimises capacity and reach for 800G transport.
• Apollo Open Optical Line Systems, including hybrid EDFA-Raman amplifiers, maximise the capacity of SURF’s existing G655 and G652 fibres and successfully carry third-party vendor wavelengths.
• NPT 2400 metro router, interoperable with SURF’s network, delivers 2x400GbE uplinks running EVPN services over BGP to 8x100G ports within the network.

Harold Teunissen, Director of Network and Campus at SURF, stated that the trial with Ribbon “pushes the boundaries of our current fibre and demonstrates what is technically possible with Ribbon’s equipment.”

He added that it “marks a crucial step forward as we prepare our network to meet the future needs of scientific research and education in the Netherlands and beyond.”