Orange Spain has completed the build-out of a 200GBps backbone network that will help it to meet the requirements of 5G when the time comes.
The operator worked with Huawei to consolidate various DWDM networks, some of which it acquired through M&A, into a single national backbone.
The network is based on Flex Grid technology, which increases the capacity of the optical fibre. In this case, the network is capable of 96x200GBps, or 19.2TBps on a single fibre pair, covering almost 1,000 km without regeneration.
“This will allow the operator to be prepared for the challenges posed by the deployment of 5G technology, and develop its transport capacity for 4K video whilst also optimising its wholesale business,” Huawei said.
Consolidating its infrastructure will enable Orange Spain to boost network operation efficiency, while speeding up time to market and improving end-user experience, it added.
Last week, Spain’s Ministry of Tourism, Energy and Digital Agenda (MINETAD) launched the process of auctioning off spectrum for 5G mobile services.
A year ago, Orange Spain shared the results of a 5G demo with Ericsson in which it achieved download speeds of up to 15 Gbps. A separate test at the same time saw it successfully transmit 4K video to a moving vehicle.