SUNNYVALE, Calif. & LITTLE ROCK, Ark.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Infinera(NASDAQ: INFN) and Windstream, a leading provider of advanced networkcommunications, today announced the completion of a live network trial thatsuccessfully achieved 800 gigabits per second (800G) single-wavelengthtransmission over 730 kilometers (km) across Windstream?s long-haul networkbetween San Diego and Phoenix. In addition to the industry-leading real-worldperformance at 800G, Windstream and Infinera set another industry record bylooping back the signal to achieve a 700G transmission over 1,460 km. The trialwas performed using Infinera?s fifth-generationcoherent optical technology, ICE6 (Infinite Capacity Engine), equipped in aGroove (GX) Series platform over industry-standard G.652-compliant SMF-28fiber, with both signal rates achieving a performance level that metWindstream?s production network deployment standards.

The results of the trial mark a major milestone in optical networking bydemonstrating that ultra-high-speed optical transmissions, such as 700G and800G, powered by Infinera?s ICE6 optical engine and Windstream?shigh-performance fiber network, can be deployed in real-world networkapplications over significant distances. This will enable emerging 400 GigabitEthernet (400 GbE) services to be supported over longer distances within theWindstream national network. High-performance, high-speed transmission willalso enable network operators like Windstream to realize increased efficiencyin cost per bit and power per bit, as well as increased capacity per fiber byas much as 70 percent compared to third-generation (400G) coherent technologyand by as much as 35 percent compared to fourth-generation (600G) coherenttechnology.

?Windstream remains committed to staying at the forefront oftechnological innovation and the superior performance of ICE6 brings real-worldvalue to our network and enables us to meet the explosive growth in bandwidthdemands of our customers,? said Buddy Bayer, chief network officer atWindstream. ?The flexibility of ICE6 coupled with the easily deployable compactmodular form factor of the GX Series will enable Windstream to quickly andeasily introduce this new technology across our entire network from edge tocore.?

The industry-leading 700G and 800G transmission performance was enabledby advances in Nyquist subcarriers, a pioneering innovation developed byInfinera?s Optical Innovation Center (OIC). Unlike competing technologies,Nyquist subcarrier-based solutions enable superior performance by mapping thetraffic into tightly packed, lower-baud-rate digital subcarriers within asingle optical carrier. In addition to providing significant performancebenefits on their own, subcarriers also amplify the benefits of otherinnovations from Infinera?s OIC such as 64QAM long-codeword probabilisticconstellation shaping and dynamic bandwidth allocation that now can be appliedto each subcarrier independently.

?Infinera is delighted to set this new industry benchmark and partnerwith Windstream, a network operator that continually pushes the boundaries ofoptical networking,? said Parthiban Kandappan, chief technology officer atInfinera. ?As proven by the superior performance of this network trial, webelieve our unique expertise with Nyquist subcarriers coupled with thegroundbreaking innovations introduced by ICE6 will represent the standard forhigh-speed optical engines going forward.?

About Windstream

Windstream Holdings, Inc. is a leading provider of advanced networkcommunications and technology solutions. Windstream provides data networking,core transport, security, unified communications and managed services tomid-market, enterprise and wholesale customers across the U.S. The company alsooffers broadband, entertainment and security services for consumers and smalland medium-sized businesses primarily in rural areas in 18 states. Services aredelivered over multiple network platforms including a nationwide IP network,our proprietary cloud core architecture and on a local and long-haul fibernetwork spanning approximately 164,000 miles. Additional information isavailable at windstream.com or www.windstreamwholesale.com.Please visit our newsroom at news.windstream.com or follow us on Twitter at@Windstream.

About Infinera

Infinera is a global supplier of innovative networking solutions thatenable carriers, cloud operators, governments, and enterprises to scale networkbandwidth, accelerate service innovation, and automate network operations. TheInfinera end-to-end packet optical portfolio delivers industry-leadingeconomics and performance in long-haul, submarine, data center interconnect,and metro transport applications. To learn more about Infinera, visit www.infinera.com, followus on Twitter @Infinera, and read ourlatest blog posts at www.infinera.com/blog.

Infinera and the Infinera logo are registered trademarks of InfineraCorporation.

This press release contains forward-looking statements including, butnot limited to the potential technical, operational and economic benefitsprovided to network operators using Infinera?s ICE6 equipped in a GX Seriesplatform. These statements are not guarantees of results and should not beconsidered as an indication of future activity or future performance. Actualresults may vary materially from these expectations as a result of variousrisks and uncertainties. Information about these risks and uncertainties, andother risks and uncertainties that affect Infinera?s business, is contained inthe risk factors section and other sections of Infinera?s Annual Report on Form10-K for the Fiscal Year ended December 28, 2019 as filed with the SEC on March4, 2020, as well as any subsequent reports filed with or furnished to the SEC.These reports are available on Infinera?s website at www.infinera.com andthe SEC?s website at www.sec.gov. Infineraassumes no obligation to, and does not currently intend to, update any suchforward-looking statements.

Openreach has selected Adtran’s SDX Series of optical line terminals (OLT)s and Mosaic Cloud Platform to help ramp up its full fibre deployment in line with the goals outlined in its Fibre First programme. Launched in early 2018, the programme sees the access network division of BT Group working towards the target of bringing high-speedbroadband to three million UK premises by the end of 2020, and overall, 20 million UK homes by the mid-to-late 2020s.

Peter Bell, network technologies director at Openreach explained: ‘We’re already making our new broadband network available to around 32,000 UK homes and businesses every week ? and we’re on track to reach our target of reaching four and a half million premises with full-fibre’ by the end of March 2021. But we don’t want to stop there. Our new network will support the UK’s economy for decades to come and help it bounce back from the Covid-19 pandemic, so we’ll be accelerating our full-fibre build throughout the year.’

The use of Adtran’s SDX platform will enable Openreach to economically scale its GPON and XGS-PON network with a higher level of flexibility. Its disaggregated, flexible design provides the framework to support a large number of customers by delivering the granularity of interconnect speeds required to meet the needs of retail service providers of all sizes. Capable of supporting gigabit and multi-gigabit access links on the same OLT port, Openreach’s retail customers can deliver the right mix of enterprise, business and residential services based on their own demographics,industry type and residential interests.

Dan Whalen, Adtran’s chief product officer said: ‘Given the breadth of Openreach’s full-fibre network, having the ability to deliver GPON and XGS-PON services from the same OLT port streamlines service delivery and reduces the complexity of network design. We make it possible for any service provider, based anywhere in the country, to have the service options they require to fit their customers’ needs.’

Eight companies have come together to build 2Africa, a subsea cabledesigned to serve the African continent and Middle East region. The cable willalso connect via east Africa with other subsea cables for expanded connectivityto Asia.

The big-name parties involved are China Mobile International,Facebook, MTN GlobalConnect, Orange, stc, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone and WIOCC.The cable will be some 37,000km long, making it one of the world’s largestsubsea cable projects. It will interconnect Europe (eastward via Egypt), theMiddle East (via Saudi Arabia), and 21 landings in 16 countries in Africa. Theconsortium has chosen Alcatel Submarine Networks to build the cable in a fullyfunded project.

2Africa will have a design capacity of up to 180Tb/s on keyparts of the system, and the expected ‘go live’ date will be in 2023/4. Incountries where the cable will land, service providers will obtain capacity incarrier-neutral data centres or open-access cable landing stations on a fairand equitable basis. This will support healthy internet ecosystem developmentby facilitating greatly improved accessibility for businesses and consumersalike.

The 2Africa parties and Airtel have signed an agreement withTelecom Egypt to provide a completely new crossing linking the Red Sea and theMediterranean, the first in over a decade. This includes new cable landingstations and deployment of next-generation fibre on two new, diverseterrestrial routes parallel to the Suez Canal from Ras Ghareb to Port Said, anda new subsea link that will provide a third path between Ras Ghareb and Suez.

From a technology standpoint, 2Africa will be using freshtechnology in the form of SDM1 from Alcatel, allowing deployment of up to 16fibre pairs, bringing much greater and more cost-effective capacity. The cablewill incorporate optical switching technology to enable flexible management ofbandwidth. Cable burial depth has also been increased, and routing will avoidlocations of known subsea disturbance.

Jessica Gu, director and chief technology officer oat ChinaMobile International said: ‘The launch of 2Africa enables us to offer ourcustomers seamless connection between Africa and Europe, together with ourSEA-ME-WE 5 and AAE-1 subsea cable resources to further extend to Asia, whichis an important milestone of our global development strategy,’

Najam Ahmad, vice president, network infrastructure at Facebookstated: ‘2Africa is a major element of our ongoing investment in Africa tobring more people online to a faster internet. We’ve seen first-hand thepositive impact that increased connectivity has on communities, from educationto healthcare.’

According to Fr?d?ric Schepens, CEO of MTN Group’s wholesaleoperation, MTN GlobalConnect: ‘MTN GlobalConnect is delighted to participate inthis bold 2Africa subsea cable project. We are proud to be playing a key rolein providing the benefits of a modern connected life ? a core MTN belief.’

Alioune Ndiaye, CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa said: ‘Thismajor investment will complete our existing submarine and pan-Africanterrestrial infrastructures to provide access to international connectivity ina redundant fashion throughout the west coast of Africa.’

Mohammed A. Alabbadi, wholesale VP in stc added: ‘The 2Africacable will be integrated into stc’s MENA Gateway (MG1) data centre in Jeddah,enabling customers to access our extensive international content and extendtheir regional connectivity through stc terrestrial geo-mesh network thatextends to all neighboring countries. The partnership demonstrates stc’scommitment, in line with Saudi Vision 2030, to deliver meaningful digitaltransformation and build a digital society for all.’

Adel Hamed, Telecom Egypt’s managing director and chiefexecutive officer said: ‘Telecom Egypt’s contribution to 2Africa marks animportant milestone in our endeavor to contribute to digital transformation inAfrica. We are honored to be part of such a revolutionary project alongsiderenowned global and African partners.’

Vinod Kumar, CEO at Vodafone Business stated: ‘Improvingconnectivity for Africa is a significant step which lays the groundwork forincreased digitalisation across the continent. 2Africa will give localbusinesses and consumers a better online experience while more connectivitybetween Africa, Europe and the Middle East will help to build a wider, moreinclusive digital society across the globe.’

WIOCC CEO, Chris Wood added: ‘For over a decade WIOCC has beenthe hyperscale capacity provider for Africa, based upon a strategy of ongoingstrategic investment in key subsea and terrestrial infrastructure. Ourinvestment both future-proofs our network capabilities and provides additionalresilience to maximise uptime for our critical infrastructure.’

Alain Biston, president of Alcatel Submarine Networks concluded:’We are honored by the trust of our partners and proud to have been selectedfor this project. With this state-of-the-art subsea system, Africa will take agiant leap to the digital age thanks to the best-in-class technologies.’

Africa is of particular interest as a market, when it comes tosubmarine cables. Last year saw Google announce its investment inthis market, with a private subsea cable that connects Africa with Europe.