SAN DIEGO—OFCnet, OFC’s high-speed optical network, is set to showcase fiber industry innovation at the 2024 Optical Fiber Communications Conference and Exhibition (OFC), 24-28 March 2024 (Exhibition: 26 March - 28 March) at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California.

The cutting-edge network infrastructure enables live demonstrations featuring emerging technologies, including quantum networking, and fosters collaboration opportunities between exhibitors, research laboratories and commercial ventures.

“Through the collaborative efforts of academia and industry, OFC's live network, OFCnet, serves as the conduit for bringing the latest emerging technologies from the labs to the forefront of the industry,” said Marc Lyonnais, Director of External Research at Ciena and OFCnet Chair. “These cutting-edge innovations showcased on the show floor are not just glimpses of the future but the building blocks of tomorrow's optical networks. The exponential rise in quantum technology demonstrations underscores the industry's interest in this transformative field, affirming OFC's position as the premier platform where these advancements can be experienced firsthand.”

OFCnet - Booth #923

At this year's OFCnet booth, attendees can explore 12 different live demo kiosks, with eight showcasing quantum technology advancements. Additionally, the booth features show floor programs including an Educational Session track featuring seven panels covering topics such as "Quantum Key Distribution Demonstrations," "Quantum Networking Evolution," "Quantum Network Advancements," "Software Define Infrastructures," "Optical Benchmark," "Optical Infrastructures and Services and "Telecom Fiber Networks as the Core of the Next Generation TerraScope."

This year’s participants include Anritsu; AUREA; CESNET/CzechLight; Ciena/FABRIC/SDSC; Ciena/ID Quantique; Ciena/Toshiba; F5; ICAIR/Northwestern University; Internet2; NEC/Verizon/OFS; Nokia/ID Quantique; NTT Labs; Nucrypt/Quantum Opus; Open ROADM MSA; QuNett/University of Maryland; Qunnect; QTI; University of Amsterdam; and University of Bristol.

OFCnet services and equipment are provided by CENIC, Ciena, Corning, ESnet, Exfo, F5, Huber +Suhner, Internet2, Lumen, NOKIA, Ribbon; San Diego Supercomputer Center; and Utah Education and Telehealth Network (UETN) and Viavi.

OFCnet is a collaborative effort involving CENIC (Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California) and Lumen. This effort provides new opportunities for exhibitors collaborating with affiliated academic institutions to highlight advancements and capabilities in a live real-time, fully operational network environment.

Reinforcing its role as a real-time proving ground, OFC also fosters industry innovation through collaboration. For example, three industry-leading groups— Ethernet Alliance, OIF and Open ROADM—will hold technology discussions and live multi-vendor interoperability demonstrations of the latest optical networking advancements.

Technology areas to be showcased by these organizations include next-generation solutions for data-center networking, artificial intelligence, machine learning and disaggregation applications. Demonstrations will span a range of technologies, including 800G; OpenROADM MSA compliant optical transport networks; 800ZR; 400ZR; OpenZR+ optics; energy-efficient interfaces (EEI); co-packaging; Common Electrical I/O (CEI) channels; and Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) implementations.

“OFC continues to set the pace for innovation, unveiling the pioneering trends that will define the industry and provide solutions to the most critical global issues like quantum networking, AI/ML, and data-center connectivity,” said OFC General Chairs Chris Fludger, Infinera; Roland Ryf, Nokia Bell Labs; and Dimitra Simeonidou, University of Bristol, U.K. “Anchoring many of OFC’s show floor advancements and demonstrations is OFCnet.”

Details on the live interoperability demonstrations are as follows:

The Ethernet Alliance at OFC 2024 interoperability demonstration will highlight the evolution of 800G products including new interconnect schemes, interoperating within a representative network. The demo will depict the multitude of speeds found in a data center closet, from 25G to 800G, connected over the latest in current and emerging passive and active copper and optical interfaces. There will be solutions from all ecosystem participants, including test & measurement, interconnect, systems, and switches. The interoperability demo gives attendees a chance to see state-of-the-art products operating in a real-world setting.

In a record-setting showcase of interoperability at OFC 2024, OIF will unveil the collaboration of 47 member companies. Live demos in booth 1323 will spotlight next-gen solutions for data center networking, AI/ML, and disaggregation applications, including 800ZR, 400ZR, and OpenZR+ optics, Energy Efficient Interfaces (EEI) & Co-Packaging, Common Electrical I/O (CEI) channels, and Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) implementations. OIF is where the optical networking industry’s interoperability work gets done, defining industry standards for the next decade.

This demo will showcase an (Open ROADM MSA compliant) optical transport network with a mesh topology and turn dynamic SDN-controlled wavelength circuits up and down. The Open ROADM specifications, which also include YANG data models, address Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexers (ROADMs), transponders, ZR+ devices and pluggable optics with data rates up to 400G. Open ROADM-compliant equipment from multiple suppliers is integrated into the same network solution and controlled by the open-source Transport PCE (TPCE) controller. This open software and disaggregated hardware approach enable new network architectures like those showcased in the adjacent IOWN Booth 912.