Colt claims first with 400GE optical services to Hong Kong and Singapore

In the latest step of its plan to expand across Asia to power enterprises’ digital transformations, and on the heels of a deployment of its technology in Japan, Colt Technology Services has announced the availability of its new 400GE Wave and Private Wave services, making it the first telco to offer the technology in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Since the launch of its IQ Network in 2016, Colt Technology Services has begun a drive into optical networking via a programme of investment, testing and deployment.

Colt’s IQ Network, which comprises more than 29,000 on-net buildings and 900 datacentres, as well as its customer and network edge locations, is designed to deliver improved performance, enhanced control, flexibility and scalability to customers running on a fully owned and operated dense fibre network that enables enterprises to benefit from an end-to-end connection to the cloud.

Earlier in 2021, Colt committed to further collaboration with cloud service providers as part of its three-year strategy, which will see greater alignment between how Colt rolls out its IQ Network and where enterprises require greater cloud connectivity. It believes that its deepened partnership with IBM, coupled with on-demand networking and secure SD-WAN capabilities, will further progress customers’ ongoing digital transformations.

In Asia, the Colt IQ Network connects to more than 95 datacentres and 6,800 on-net buildings, along with more than 900 datacentres and 29,000 enterprise buildings globally.

Based on Ciena’s WaveLogic 5 Extreme (WL5e) coherent optical technology, the 400GE service builds upon Colt’s high bandwidth optical portfolio delivered on the IQ Network, which includes Wave, Spectrum and Private Wave, to deliver the next generation of services with what it claims will be an unparalleled user experience over a fully programmable network.

In March 2021, Colt shared its successful provisioning of 600G wavelengths in a long-haul live network in Japan, in close collaboration with Ciena – making Colt the first and only provider with long-distance 600G capability in the country.

In the new deployment, Colt will use Ciena’s Waveserver 5 platform, powered by WL5e 800G technology, to enable what it assures will be efficient 400GE communications between locations on the IQ Network to meet the highest levels of bandwidth demands from customers.

“To keep up with evolving digital lifestyles and the networks that support them, leading providers like Colt understand how critical it is to have a network that can adapt and respond seamlessly and efficiently,” said Kazuyasu Takahashi, vice-president and general manager at Ciena Japan.

“Ciena’s WaveLogic technology addresses this need by adding more scalability, programmability and intelligence to Colt’s network.”

Masato Hoshino, Colt president and head of Asia, added: “Being the first to deliver 400GE commercially in our metro networks across the Asia Pacific region reflects Colt’s position as an industry pioneer.

“This is a milestone for connectivity in Asia and reflects our commitment to delivering next-generation agile connectivity solutions to the region,” he said. “Customers in Asia are demanding increasingly high bandwidth services, and we’re continuing to innovate and help transform the way they do business.”