Milan, 21st September, 2015 – Prysmian Group, world leader in the energy and telecom cable systems industry, partners with Berk-Tek to demonstrate 300m 40Gbps transmission utilizing Prysmian’s WideBand MMF, WideCap-OM4, and commercial WDM transceivers.

While Data Center markets are rapidly adopting higher data rates (40GbE/100GbE), the demand for longer-reaching, high-performance cabling increases. Wideband MMFs and WDM transceivers are a promising solution to meet these challenges while still providing margins for capacity increase to 400Gbps.

There is significant effort in the industry to increase the capacity of MMFs. One such activity is to develop WideBand MMFs capable of WDM transmission using high speed VCSELs between 850-950nm. Berk-Tek successfully transmitted 40 Gigabit Ethernet traffic over 300m error-free over a duplex WideCap-OM4 link.

This transmission was accomplished using 40GE Bi-Directional QSFP+ Ethernet optical modules, and a Berk-Tek duplex cable configured in a 2-connector channel consisting of Prysmian WideCap-OM4 fiber. The traffic was generated and verified by an Ixia XM2 chassis outfitted with Xcellon-LavaTM Dual-Speed, 40/100GE Higher Speed Ethernet Load Modules.

“We were able to transmit over 300 meters across two connection pairs using WideBand MMF. This clearly demonstrates what can be achieved when you combine outstanding quality optical cable and connectors in support of next generation communications technologies” states Eric Lawrence, VP of Strategy and Growth Technology for Berk-Tek.

By using the industry’s highest performing WideBand MMF and WDM transceivers, a data center manager can ensure a seamless upgrade from 10 to 40 and 100 Gigabit Ethernet using duplex LC connectivity. “Berk-Tek and the TEK Center’s advanced research capabilities allow us to identify critical performance parameters among the available optical fiber types and transceiver technologies. By choosing Berk-Tek, our customers can utilize the best available optical fiber specifications contained in the optimum cable design”, adds Mike Connaughton, RCDD, Market Segment Manager, Data Centers for Berk-Tek.

“WideCap-OM4 provides OM4 performance over the 850-950nm allowing data center owners to take full advantage of novel WDM transceivers based on LC connectivity. WideCap-OM4 offers 4700MHz.km bandwidth at 850nm for backward compatibility with 10GBASE-SR, 40GBASE-SR4 and 100GBASE-SR4 while securing high bandwidth at wavelengths up to 950nm for optimum performance with WDM modules.” adds Andreas Wassmuth, Director Telecom R&D with Prysmian Group. “WideCap-OM4 is future ready and offers the greatest flexibility for data center networks”, indicates Adrian Amezcua, MMF Product Line Manager with Prysmian Group.

Join Berk-Tek and Prysmian Group as they present their findings at Photonics in Switching 2015 technical conference in Florence, Italy, on Friday September 25th.

Prysmian Group
Prysmian Group is world leader in the energy and telecom cable systems industry. With more than 130 years of experience, sales of nearly €7 billion in 2014, some 19,000 employees across 50 countries and 89 plants, the Group is strongly positioned in high-tech markets and offers the widest possible range of products, services, technologies and know-how. It operates in the businesses of underground and submarine cables and systems for power transmission and distribution, of special cables for applications in many different industries and of medium and low voltage cables for the construction and infrastructure sectors. For the telecommunications industry, the Group manufactures cables and accessories for voice, video and data transmission, offering a comprehensive range of optical fibres, optical and copper cables and connectivity systems. Prysmian is a public company, listed on the Italian Stock Exchange in the FTSE MIB index.

Media Relations
Lorenzo Caruso
Corporate and Business Communications Director
Ph. 0039 02 6449.1
lorenzo.caruso@prysmiangroup.com

Investor Relations
Cristina Bifulco
Investor Relations Director
Ph. 0039 02 6449.1
mariacristina.bifulco@prysmiangroup.com