Field demonstration of a transparent optical WDM-network with 10 Gbit/s maximum channel-data-rate applying an optimized optical link-design

A concept to design robust and flexible, fully transparent, optical long-haul networks without additional Raman-Amplification is demonstrated theoretically and experimentally. Excellent performance and flexibility at data rates up to 10 Gbit/s and transparency lengths of more than 1700 km are predicted by computer-simulations and successfully demonstrated in a field-test. Error-free transmission of arbitrary data-rates up to 10 Gbit/s over variable link distances up to 1720 km could be demonstrated without intermediate 3R-regeneration and without additional Raman-Amplification and Forward Error Correction. This field-experiment demonstrates the technical feasibility of extensive and flexible, fully transparent optical WDM-Networks.