Ciena Debuts WaveRouter, Industry’s First Purpose-Built Router for the Converged Metro

Scalability, operational simplicity, and sustainability – with zero compromises

Ciena (NYSE: CIEN) introduced WaveRouter, an industry-first platform architecture optimally designed for the converged metro network. As part of Ciena’s Coherent Routing strategy, WaveRouter supports the exponential growth of metro traffic driven by bandwidth-hungry services such as 5G, high-speed broadband, enterprise business services, and the cloud. Seamlessly unifying IP, optical, and compute functionality in a single platform, WaveRouter’s future-proof scalability from 6Tb/s to 192Tb/s addresses the needs of service providers who are dealing with unprecedented traffic demand.

Giving rise to a new, flexible hybrid architecture that unites traditional chassis and leaf-spine design, WaveRouter utilizes Ciena’s industry-leading WaveLogic coherent optics and intelligent multi-layer control and automation for a high-performance, easy-to-operate, and greener coherent routing solution. It meets the vigorous demands of metro networks by bringing together the best of platform architecture, transport technologies, and software to eliminate trade-offs in space, power, cooling, and scalability.

Said Sterling Perrin, Senior Principal Analyst at Heavy Reading: “Metro networks are ripe for modernization, driven by requirements for sustainability, scale, reliability, cloud adaptability, and lower costs. Heavy Reading survey data indicates many operators are seeking change in how they architect their metros. Ciena’s WaveRouter, a coherent metro router, combines IP and optical coordination, open API-based automation, and a hardware building-block architecture that offers redundant power and cooling, along with the ability to independently scale up compute and scale out switching fabric. This is the type of innovative metro architecture that network operators are looking for.”

“Service providers are looking to simplify their networks through convergence to gain a competitive edge in a cloud-driven, always-connected world. Until now, they’ve had to compromise when it came to capacity, operational ease, and sustainability. WaveRouter takes an innovative approach, combining the best in IP, coherent optics, and flexible photonics driven by multi-layer operations for real performance and energy advantages,” said Scott McFeely, Senior Vice President, Global Products and Services, Ciena.

WaveRouter will be generally available in the third quarter of 2023.

WaveRouter Benefits:

• Manage IP and optical network services in a single interface with Ciena’s Manage, Control and Plan (MCP) multi-layer domain controller, reducing operating costs and driving optimal network performance and growth.
• Deliver adaptable, high-power transport at the lowest cost per bit with integrated performance-optimized as well as pluggable coherent optics that provide dynamic capacity starting at 400Gb/s and scaling to 1.6Tb/s.
• Maximize upgradability with universal slots that accommodate both fabric and I/O interfaces.
• Achieve environmental and sustainability goals with flexible deployment in non-adjacent racks and rows, energy-efficient cooling and cabling, and protected, pay-as-you-grow power distribution.
• Perform in-service fabric expansion with an extensible switch fabric that provides greater performance with no operation degradation, allowing for more scalability.
• Scale without concession with elastic compute that enables resizing of computing capacity independently of routing functions.
• Experience full interoperability with Ciena’s 5100 and 8100 Families for maximum operational efficiency.

WaveRouter Resources:

• Blog: Metro routing done differently: Unveiling Ciena’s latest innovation, the WaveRouter
• White paper: Redefining Metro Networks for Scale, Simplicity, and Sustainability
• Videos: Metro routing done differently, because you asked
• Insight: What is metro routing done differently?
• Data sheet

About Ciena

Ciena (NYSE: CIEN) is a global leader in networking systems, services, and software. We build the most adaptive networks in the industry, enabling customers to anticipate and meet ever-increasing digital demands. For three-plus decades, Ciena has brought our humanity to our relentless pursuit of innovation. Prioritizing collaborative relationships with our customers, partners, and communities, we create flexible, open, and sustainable networks that better serve all users—today and into the future. For updates on Ciena, follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, the Ciena Insights blog, or visit www.ciena.com.

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