Pioneering a New Era in the Telecommunications Industry
At Windstream Wholesale, we’re proud of our unwavering commitment to innovation and excellence. Over the years, we have established ourselves as an industry-leading technology provider, thanks to our ability to stay ahead of the technology curve and lead the way with the latest advancements in the field.
One of our most significant advancements has been the introduction of Windstream’s 400G service (established in 2020), which has allowed for even greater agility, adaptability, and durability when it comes to data transmission. Our nationwide footprint spans across 103 data centers (and continuously growing!) offering coast-to-coast coverage and rapid turn-up.
Our innovative approach to technology lead to the development 400G powered by ZR+ coheret optic pluggables, which utilize a drastically reduced footprint and power consumption relative to sled-based and even CFP2-based solutions – allowing us to pre-deploy capacity across six coverage regions for even faster turn-up.
By leveraging this cutting-edge technology, we have been able to solidify our position at the forefront of the industry, providing our customers with the very best services and solutions available.
400G represents the next generation of optical transceivers. Offering relatively simple math, it results in a 4x increase to a network’s maximum data transfer speed over 100G. This results in the ability to address today’s ever-increasing bandwidth demands and traffic.
Why 400G with Windstream Wholesale?
400G | Coast-to-Coast
Our Coast-to-Coast 400G spans the nation and covers several routes on our cutting-edge intelligent converged optical network (ICON). This point-to-point, long-haul service is designed to provide high-capacity and low-latency transport. Windstream Wholesale was the first to market with this next generation of connectivity in 2020, providing customers with the power of trusted and vetted service experience and engineering.
Our 400G service is optimized for providing lightning-fast speeds over long distances throughout the country. For instance, customers can upgrade from 100G to 400G across a single route, such as from Los Angeles, CA to Ashburn, VA, to enhance connectivity and delivery.
400G | Regional Rapid Fiber
Windstream Wholesale’s unique co-development of ZR+ pluggables (with II-VI, now Coherent Corp) is enabling the first flexible, regional 400G wave services. Regional Rapid Fiber, powered by ZR+, offers point-to-point connections within multiple regional sites across Windstream’s ICON and is focused on creating multi-point connections within a regional radius of approximately 1000 kilometers.
Customers gain the ability to add circuits for flexibility and redundancy, in addition to rapid turn-up from pre-deployed capacity, risk-free migration path from 100G to 400G, dual, diverse, economic wave options, short-term, event-based 400G, and capacity reservation services.
What does this mean for the future?
- Reduced equipment and power costs
- Amended space, heat, and power challenges
- Elevated network efficiency
- Streamlined network design & operations
- Increased POPs (points of presence)
Regional Rapid Fiber pacifies space, heat, and power challenges that burden our industry. Through the integration of ZR+ pluggables, we anticipate a significant decrease in costs by 50-70% and a further reduction in power consumption by 20%. The infrastructure required for 400G is also minimal, lowering technical hurdles and enhancing short-term project sustainability.
What’s more, the integration of 400G into ICON is projected to increase our points of presence by 50% by year-end, expanding possibilities for success in our field. Our system is eco-friendly and incorporates thermal optimization – this innovation will pave the way for advancements in AI optical and internal planning systems, potentially leading to the introduction of 800G.
Our non-traditional approach to 400G development and deployment showcases our dedication to pushing boundaries and delivering the absolute best for our customers. We don’t simply create technologies that dominate the market; we are dedicated to developing meaningful solutions that add to the customer experience.
Windstream Wholesale is proud to be leading the way in the industry with 400G – both Next Generation and what is now the Next – Next Generation. Windstream CTO, Art Nichols, and Windstream Wholesale CRO, Joe Scattareggia, dive deeper into the nooks and crannies of 400G technology in Connect the Dots episode 32: Going Beyond the Next Generation of 400G.
