UK broadband provider Openreach has tapped Ciena to expand its high-capacity connectivity services for UK wholesale customers.

In an announcement today (October 7), Ciena confirmed that Openreach has been deploying Ciena's Waveserver 1.6Tbps coherent technology into its Optical Spectrum Extended Access (OSEA) portfolio. The deployment is underpinned by Ciena's WaveLogic 6 (WL6) technology.

Openreach is using the technology to provide its wholesale customers with tailored network solutions serving specialist locations such as cable landing stations (CLS), access and backhaul services to core intersect nodes and data centers.

The company, a subsidiary of UK telecoms giant BT, is currently building out its full fiber network across the country and is on course to hit 25 million locations by the end of this year.

Ciena notes that its solution includes the deployment of 400G and 800G client traffic over dedicated 1.6Tbps wavelengths, with a 2RU chassis supporting up to 32 x 400G services. In simple terms, Ciena claims this significantly expands the range of high-capacity services Openreach can offer.

Beyond this, Openreach has also introduced national 800G services for the first time and creates a clear path to even faster services as customers’ needs grow.

According to Ciena, its Waveserver technology gives Openreach's wholesale customers "more flexible, tailored options for services that need to carry very large amounts of data."

The company added that Openreach's wholesale customers that are using the telco's fiber network will be able to support high-capacity connections between data centers, private cloud networks for businesses, and connections between international cable landing stations and data centers.

In addition to this, there will be greater resiliency using different fiber routes across the UK, plus additional capacity to support growth in cloud services, online content and international subsea traffic.

“Demand for fast, reliable connectivity is growing rapidly. This investment shows how Openreach is strengthening its network to support wholesale customers across the UK,” said Nicolas Lemaitre, director of products, Openreach. “By using Ciena’s Waveserver and WL6 technology, we’re preparing our services for the next wave of digital growth, including increasing demand from AI applications and Critical National Infrastructure.”

Ciena's partnership with Openreach also extends to helping the broadband provider deploy, proactively monitor, and maintain its OSEA optical product.