100G Lambda MSA Announces Release of New Specifications for Longer Reach 100 GbE over Single-Mode Fiber

Consortium Members Address Market Demand for 100 GbE up to 40 km

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- December 8, 2020 -- The 100G Lambda Multisource Agreement (MSA) Group, which has grown to comprise 45 member companies, is pleased to announce the release of three enhanced 100 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) specifications, extending the reach to three distinct lengths of up to 20, 30 and 40 km over single-mode fiber. These specifications are based on 100 Gb/s per wavelength PAM4 optical technology that the MSA was founded on and has been promoting. The specifications are primarily targeting applications for service providers, data center operators and enterprise networks, including emerging 5G wireless networks, enabling multi-vendor interoperability for optical transceivers produced by different manufacturers in various form factors.

Building upon its success of previously published and broadly adopted 100G-FR and 100G-LR as well as 400G-FR4 specifications, the MSA members have developed these new specifications to fully address market requirements known as 100G-LR1-20 for 20 km reach, and 100G-ER1-30 and 100G-ER1-40 for 30 and 40 km reaches, respectively.

“Single-wavelength 100G PAM4 optical technology has gained industry-wide adoption”, said Mark Nowell, 100G Lambda MSA co-chair. “These longer reach specifications will further accelerate broader industry acceptance of single-wavelength 100G solutions, especially for service providers and carriers who are in high demand of efficient and cost-effective optical solutions for next generation wireline and wireless networks.”

“The MSA has its mission to promote 100G per wavelength PAM4 technology as part of optical networking roadmap”, said Jeffery Maki, 100G Lambda MSA co-chair. “These new specifications support roadmap evolution for extended reaches of up to 40km for today’s implementations and ready to migrate to higher electrical lane speed, smaller form factors, and lower power dissipation.”

Recently in October 2020, the 100G Lambda MSA announced the release of 400G LR4-10 specification supporting 400 GbE for reach up to 10km. The MSA group continues its work by next addressing 400G extended reach specifications.

The 100G Lambda MSA Group member companies are: II-VI, Alibaba, Applied OptoElectronics, Arista Networks, Broadcom, Cambridge Industries Group, China Unicom, Ciena, Cisco Systems, Color Chip, Credo, Delta, Eoptolink, Fujitsu Optical Components, HG Genuine, HiSense, HiSilicon, Innolight, Inphi, Intel, Juniper Networks, Keysight Technologies, Lightwave Logic, Lumentum, MACOM, Maxim, Maxlinear, Mellanox, Microsoft, Mitsubishi Electric, Molex, MultiLane, Neophotonics, Nokia, Panduit, Renesas, Rockley Photonics, Semtech, Sicoya, SiFotonics Technologies, Source Photonics, Sumitomo Electric, TE Connectivity, TFC Optical Communication, Tektronix and ZTE.

For more information on the 100G Lambda MSA Group or to download the updated specifications, please visit the MSA’s website http://www.100glambda.com. This MSA is open to any interested party who wants to join. Companies are invited to join the consortium as Contributor members.