SK Telecom increases optical network capacity to 100G

Selects Nokia Siemens Networks’ optical network equipment to provide 8 Tbps per fiber

SK Telecom, the largest mobile operator in Korea, has started to introduce 100G (gigabits per second) technology into its existing 40G network, to significantly increase its transmission capacity. To do this, the operator has selected Nokia Siemens Networks’ DWDM (dense wavelength division multiplexing)* 100G technology and related services. The capacity expansion enables SK Telecom to simultaneously transmit up to 80 wavelengths of light, each carrying data at 100G on a single optical fiber, giving a total capacity of up to 8 Tbps (terabits per second) per fiber.

“With increasing smartphone adoption in Korea, there is a surging demand for higher capacity networks. Operators such as SK Telecom need to expand their network capacity multifold, and they need to do so cost efficiently by optimizing the use of existing fiber,” said Tapani Sairanen, head of Asia and Middle East cluster, customer sales support, Optical Networks, Nokia Siemens Networks. “Our scalable and flexible optical products help SK Telecom transition to a 100G network cost efficiently, as our technology eliminates the need for costly installation of more fiber. This ultra-fast data transmission allows SK Telecom to continue to ensure a superior mobile broadband customer experience.”

For the capacity expansion, Nokia Siemens Networks is providing its hiT 7300 DWDM platform. The platform utilizes the installed network infrastructure by using coherent transmission technology, thereby protecting the operator’s investments. This transmission technology is based on a modulation format called CP-QPSK (coherent polarization multiplexed quadrature phase shift keying)**.

In addition, Nokia Siemens Networks provides its network management system to ensure simplified network operations and comprehensive network performance monitoring for SK Telecom. The company also provides its network planning, optimization and implementation as well as hardware and software maintenance care services for the project.

On December 3, 2012, Nokia Siemens Networks and Marlin Equity Partners announced that they had reached an agreement for Nokia Siemens Networks to sell its Optical Networks business unit to Marlin Equity Partners. The announcement outlined that the deal would result in the unit being established as an independent company with the goal of becoming a leading provider in the optical market.