A P P L I C AT I O N N OT E

Infinera’s C+L Solution BENEFITS OF INFINERA’S

C+L SOLUTION
Double fiber capacity with a comprehensive C+L solution ■ Deploy C+L in a variety of network
topologies, including point-to-point,
As demand for bandwidth continues to grow, with a CAGR in the 35% to 45% range,
ring, and mesh
doubling approximately every 2.5 years, network operators need to find cost-effective
ways of scaling fiber capacity. However, as optical engine spectral efficiency approaches ■ Incur L-band costs only when L-band
the Shannon limit, the theoretical maximum, the only other way of scaling fiber capacity capacity is needed, with in-service
upgrades from C to C+L
is with more spectrum. This is especially the case in long-haul networks, where the cost
of deploying or leasing and then lighting new fibers is high. And while leveraging exotic ■ Maximize C+L network availability
bands (S-band, E-band, O-band) or new space-division multiplexing (SDM) fibers based on with sub-10 s failure recovery
multiple modes or multiple cores might provide solutions at some point in the future, today enabled by ASE idlers, automated
ASE management, and fast transient
the most practical solution for increasing fiber capacity is extending into the L-band. More suppression
spectrum also provides the opportunity to sell more revenue-generating services on the
existing fiber plant. ■ Simplify operations and speed
provisioning with automated tilt control
Doubling Fiber Spectrum with C+L and ASE management, as well as a C+L
loading manager

■ Leverage industry-leading 800 Gb/s

optical engine technology with L-band
versions of Infinera’s ICE6-based
CHM6 Xponder sled for the GX G42

Figure 1: C+L doubles spectrum to 9.6 THz

DWDM networks have traditionally used the C-band. The C-band was preferred over the
L-band for its lower dispersion and the availability of lower-noise EDFA amplification. The
C-band operates with wavelengths between approximately 1530 nm and 1565 nm. Over
time, the amount of C-band spectrum available to DWDM systems has evolved from 3,200
GHz to 4,000 GHz, then to 4,400 GHz, then to 4,800 GHz. The 4,800 GHz (4.8 THz) of the
extended C-band operates with wavelengths from approximately 1529 nm to 1567 nm.
The L-band is also able to leverage EDFA amplification technology and provides the
option to double the amount of spectrum, with an additional 4,800 GHz (4.8 THz) of
spectrum between approximately 1569 nm and 1610 nm in the extended L-band, as
shown in Figure 1.

L-band Challenges
Increasing fiber spectrum with a C+L optical network can provide a practical and cost-
effective option for increasing fiber spectrum and therefore capacity. The L-band can
also help with wavelength blocking in mesh networks, where an end-to-end channel is
not available despite individual fiber spans having unused spectrum. However, extending
into the L-band also creates some challenges that require a comprehensive C+L toolkit to
address. Many of these challenges stem from an optical effect called stimulated Raman
scattering (SRS).
Stimulated Raman Scattering and SRS Tilt

Figure 2: Raman amplification of the extended C-band

SRS can be a highly desirable effect leveraged by Raman amplifiers to provide extended reach with lower noise. In Raman amplification,
photons at shorter wavelengths (e.g., ~1400 nm to 1440 nm) excite molecules in the fiber that then emit photons at longer wavelengths (i.e., the
C-band), as shown in Figure 2. However, in C+L optical networks, this same effect can cause wavelengths in the C-band (1529 nm to 1567 nm) to
amplify wavelengths in the L-band (1569 nm to 1610 nm). Moreover, this effect causes both the C-band and the L-band to tilt, with power going
from the C-band to the L-band, as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3: SRS tilt shifts power from the C-band to the L-band

The amount of tilt, the difference in power between the bottom end of the C-band and the top end of the L-band, depends on signal power,
spectral loading, fiber type, and fiber length. It can be as high as 6 dB per span, which compares to the 1.5 dB per span tilt typically seen in
C-band-only systems. Any changes in the C-band will impact the L-band, increasing or decreasing the power and increasing or decreasing the
tilt, and vice-versa.

SRS Tilt Challenges for C+L Systems

SRS tilt creates a number of challenges for C+L systems. Adding or removing channels in one band has an impact on the other band and
requires careful management or mitigation techniques. For example, a fiber cut can have a severe impact on SRS tilt, as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4: Loss of channels causes SRS tilt changes

2 Infinera’s C+L Solution
SRS tilt creates challenges in the following areas:

■ Recovery Speed: Recovery times from a failure, such as a fiber cut or lost channels after transponder failure, can be long (around
10 minutes) without careful mitigation.

■ Provisioning Speed and Complexity: The number of channels in the C- and L-bands needs to be carefully managed. Slow
adaptation to changes can lead to provisioning delays. Complex loading rules and topology restrictions can also make C+L networks
operationally challenging.

■ Supported Topologies: SRS also impacts which topologies can be supported. Point-to-point topologies are relatively straightforward.
Ring, linear chain, and mesh topologies are more complex, as wavelengths in the two bands are added or removed from one span to
the next.

The Other C+L Challenge: Cost

The other key challenge of C+L networks relates to cost. C+L networks typically require doubling components such as amplifiers as
well as doubling the number of wavelength-selective switches (WSSs), or possibly in the future using more expensive continuous C+L
WSSs, which are now on component vendor roadmaps. Upgrading from a C-band network to a C+L network may also require a complete
replacement of the C-band line system. Incurring the full cost of a complete C+L system when the L-band will only be required at some
point in the future is also less than ideal for many network operators.

FlexILS: Infinera’s C+L Line System

Infinera’s FlexILS provides a comprehensive C+L toolkit that enables it to address the key challenges of C+L: both the economic challenges
related to high up-front cost and the technical challenges related to SRS tilt. These tools include a comprehensive set of C+L hardware,
advanced link control software, and C+L amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) idlers.

C+L ROADMs and Amplifiers

FlexILS supports C-band line systems that are in-service upgradable to C+L, as shown in Figure 5. The 20-degree C-band ROADM module
includes a C+L coupler and L-band expansion ports. An L-band-expandable C-band EDFA amplifier also includes a C+L coupler. The
L-band-expandable hybrid EDFA/Raman dynamically adjusts the power of the five Raman pump lasers to perform tilt compensation with
minimal noise. FlexILS also supports a powerful six-pump C+L Raman amplifier, enabling support for spans of up to 42 dB.

Figure 5: FlexILS in-service upgrades from C to C+L

L-band modules include a 20-degree integrated ROADM card and L-band EDFA amplifiers. Additional hardware is also available to support
colorless and colorless-directionless add/drop in the L-band. An optical protection module that enables 1+1 optical channel protection is
compatible with both C-band and L-band Xponders, and a four-port OTDR operating at 1625 nm is compatible with C+L operation.

3 Infinera’s C+L Solution

C+L ASE Idlers
FlexILS supports two ASE idler cards: one for C-band and one for L-band. ASE idlers, together with the local WSS, use ASE noise in
12.5 GHz slices to fill any unused spectrum, as shown in Figure 6, ensuring that the entire band is fully loaded at all times. This avoids
the challenge of changes in each band impacting SRS tilt.

Figure 6: ASE idlers fill unused spectrum

ASE idlers eliminate loading rules: any wavelength can be provisioned regardless of existing spectrum loading. Wavelength blocking
due to loading rules is also eliminated. Provisioning times are greatly reduced. When ASE idlers are combined with automated ASE
management and fast transient suppression, recovery times are reduced from around 10 minutes to less than 10 seconds, even for major
events such as a fiber cut or in complex topologies such as mesh ROADM. ASE idlers also provide the ability to verify at system turn-up,
when the network might be lightly loaded, that the network can in the future be fully loaded with wavelengths.

C+L Link Control (ADAPT)

The ADAPT link control software that runs on each FlexILS network element provides a number of functions. It provides resource and
topology discovery. It sets the gain of amplifiers and optimizes the transmit power level of each wavelength at the add/drop network
element and intermediate ROADMs, while also providing fast transient suppression. A carrier health monitoring function monitors the
individual channels within a super channel, controlling the power levels of the surviving channels in the event of a single channel failure.

In terms of C+L-specific features, in addition to extending all the above features to the L-band, it provides fast automated tilt control
leveraging refined SRS models and SRS tilt measurements to accurately set EDFA and Raman tilt compensation in each span. ADAPT
also includes a loading manager that controls the addition and removal of large traffic demands, preventing users from applying network
or configuration changes that could place the network at risk. And finally, it provides automated ASE management when used with the
C-band and L-band ASE idlers described previously.

FlexILS C+L Benefits

FlexILS: Topology Flexibility

Figure 7: Supported C+L topologies

FlexILS supports C+L networks with a wide range of topologies, including point-to-point, linear chain, ring, and mesh, as shown in Figure 7.
It even supports mesh networks with complex traffic patterns, as illustrated in Figure 8. While simpler topologies can be deployed without
ASE idlers, ASE idlers leveraging the automated ASE management within ADAPT provide many benefits, including simplified provisioning
and fast failure recovery.

4 Infinera’s C+L Solution

 Figure 8: FlexILS even supports C+L mesh networks with complex traffic patterns

FlexILS: Fast Recovery

With C+L ASE idlers, automated ASE management, and fast transit suppression, recovery times are reduced from around 10 minutes to
less than 10 seconds, even with complex topologies such as mesh ROADM and major events such as fiber cuts. In addition, the Loading
Manager function in ADAPT aids network availability by preventing users from applying network or configuration changes that could put
the network at risk. Furthermore, the Carrier Health Monitoring function in ADAPT detects a single-carrier failure within a super-channel and
adjusts the link control to avoid the surviving carriers ramping to meet the overall passband target power.

FlexILS: Cost-effective C+L

FlexILS provides the option to initially deploy an L-band-upgradeable, C-band-only system, and then at a later date incur the incremental
L-band cost with an in-service upgrade to C+L. Furthermore, these upgrades need only be performed on those spans comprising routes
that require additional capacity when that additional L-band capacity is required. This avoids what for most network operators would be the
unnecessary cost of having to prematurely upgrade the entire network. FlexILS also supports the option to deploy simple topologies such
as point-to-point more cost-effectively without the need for ASE idlers while still benefiting from fast recovery and high availability.

ICE6 L-band Xponder Sleds for GX G42

ICE6 is a single 1.6 Tb/s optical engine that delivers two wavelengths at up to 800 Gb/s each. Utilizing a 7-nm CMOS process node DSP
and advanced indium phosphide PIC technology, ICE6 leverages a baud rate of up to 96 Gbaud (up to 100+ Gbaud with ICE6 Turbo), high
modem signal-to-noise ratio, and innovative features, including long-codeword PCS and Nyquist subcarriers, to maximize wavelength
capacity-reach. This wavelength capacity-reach, including up to 1,000+ km at 800 Gb/s, results in minimized cost per bit per kilometer,
minimized power consumption, and reduced footprint. Additional benefits include high spectral efficiency (up to 8.833 bits/s/Hz) and
excellent performance even under challenging conditions. ICE6 is available as both C-band (CHM6) and L-band (CHM6L) Xponder sleds for
the GX G42 compact modular open optical platform.

Compatibility with Infinera and Third-party Optical Line Systems

CHM6L L-band tuneability (186.05 THz to 191.05 THz) is wider than the FlexILS L-band (186.25 THz to 191.05 THz) in order to provide
compatibility with third-party line systems, which often have a slightly different L-band frequency range (186.05 to 190.875 THz, 186.075 to
190.875 THz, 186.787 to 190.951 THz, etc.).

Y-cable Protection
The CHM6 and CHM6L sleds support Y-cable client protection. In addition to protection with both working and protection channels in the
L-band, hybrid C+L protection is supported with one channel in the L-band and the other channel in the C-band, as shown in Figure 9.

Figure 9: Hybrid Y-cable protection

5 Infinera’s C+L Solution

L-band vs. C-band Performance
C-band performance in a C+L system will be slightly worse than C-band-only performance due to SRS tilt and the attenuation of the C+L
couplers. However, this performance reduction is small, with a reduction in capacity of less than 10%, which is more than compensated
for by the doubling of the available spectrum with C+L. With the FlexILS- and ICE6-enabled CHM6 Xponders for the GX G42, the C-band
and L-band support the same amount of spectrum and number of wavelengths. Due to SRS tilt, the L-band actually has slightly better
performance than the C-band. However, the capacity of each band is typically the same. With ICE6 and FlexILS, total C+L fiber capacity can
exceed 80 Tb/s.

Evolving to Super C + Super L

Infinera is evolving its C+L solution to Super C and Super L, shown in Figure 10. Super C-band offers the potential for up to 6.1 THz. Super C
can be a valuable option for spectrum expansion even on its own, enabling 50+ Tb/s on a single fiber pair. Super L also offers the potential
for up to 6.1 THz, enabling aggregate spectrum of up to 12.2 THz by combining Super C and Super L.

Figure 10: Super C + Super L: Up to 12.2 THz

Infinera’s Super C + Super L solution includes the GX Series open optical line system with high-port-count ROADM and EDFA/Raman
amplification with dynamic gain equalization. This line system solution will leverage Super C components that provide the option for in-
service upgrades to Super C + Super L in the same way that FlexILS supports in-service upgrades from C to C+L, as shown previously in
Figure 5. The second key element of this solution is Super C and Super L Xponders leveraging Infinera’s 1.2 Tb/s and 148 Gbaud per wave
ICE7 optical engine technology for the GX Series compact modular platforms. Together Super C + Super L support in the GX open line
system and ICE7-enabled Xponders will enable total capacity exceeding 100 Tb/s on a single fiber pair.

Summary
As bandwidth demand increases while transponder spectral efficiency gains become incremental, expanding the total amount of spectrum
on the fiber by adding the L-band becomes an increasingly attractive option, especially in fiber-constrained environments. Infinera’s FlexILS
line system together with ICE6-enabled L-band Xponders enables network operators to deploy a C+L solution that enables up to 80+ Tb/s
with fast recovery over a wide variety of topologies while also benefiting from automation and cost-effective in-service upgrades from C to
C+L. Furthermore, Infinera’s C+L solution is evolving to Super C + Super L, providing a path to 100+ Tb/s, leveraging the GX Series optical
line system and ICE7-enabled Xponders.

© 2023 Infinera Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Infinera and logos that contain Infinera are trademarks or registered trademarks
of Infinera Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Statements herein may contain projections regarding future products, features, or technology and resulting commercial or technical
benefits, which are subject to risk and may or may not occur. This publication is subject to change without notice and does not
constitute legal obligation to deliver any material, code, or functionality and is not intended to modify or supplement any product
specifications or warranties. 0345-AN-RevA-0623