It’s no secret the modern world moves at a rapid pace, so it’s only fair (and more importantly, necessary) that telecommunications do the same. As such, the telecommunications industry is being driven by the demand for high-capacity and low-latency connections, which is excitingly something wavelength services can provide.
Understanding Wavelength Services
Wavelength services, also known as wave service, utilize dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) technology which allows a single fiber pair to deliver multiple, high-capacity circuits. These services are a type of wide area network (WAN) that utilizes point-to-point topology.
Although fiber optic cables and wavelength routes have been around for some time, they have seen much advancement over the years, making them powerful and robust data transmitters. As fiber optics can handle massive amounts of data, these wavelength services are more often used by enterprises that are providing access to people at remote or emergency sites, editing large files, offering web hosting, or that need to connect directly to data centers.
Key features and benefits of wavelength services include:
- High bandwidth with data transmission speeds ranging from 1 Gbps to 100 Gbps wavelengths, which are essential for high-demand applications such as video conferencing, cloud computing, and large-scale data analytics.
- Low latency as they use point-to-point connections, making them ideal for time-sensitive data transfer.
- Improved security as circuits are private and can utilize centralized firewalling vs. having to manage edge security at each node of the WAN.
- Options for more protected circuits that have multiple paths that can reroute data if there is a network issue or fiber break.
Real-World Applications of Wavelength Services
The use of wavelength services is vast and varied as numerous industries benefit by having access to faster connectivity. With this in mind, companies like Zayo and Verizon are at the forefront of deploying advanced wavelength routes across North America.
Zayo, a leading provider of fiber network infrastructure, has been expanding and upgrading its network connectivity and wavelength services, completing five unique and carrier-diverse 400G wavelength routes as of April 2024. These routes include paths between Los Angeles to San Jose, Chicago to St. Louis, Reno to Barstow, Columbus to Pittsburgh, and Quebec City to Montreal, connecting numerous data centers, enterprises, rural communities, and markets for carriers across major key locations. In addition, Zayo has acquired a total of 375 global IP points-of-presence (PoPs) which will also ensure reliability and enhanced performance that will be able to handle advanced applications such as AI.
Verizon is also offering businesses wavelength services that allow high data rate transmission with low latency such as dedicated internet, Protocol Virtual Private Networks (IP VPN), Private Internet Protocol (PIP), and various private line options such as Synchronous Optical Networks (SONET), Ethernet, and Wave Services. Other notable benefits include mandatory route options that allow businesses to select the route taken between independent circuits as well as the guarantee that round trip delay will not exceed specific time frames.
These upgrades and offerings make it more efficient for organizations to connect and process data when and wherever needed. To learn more about other companies that are working to innovate with wavelength services, check out Vertical Systems Group U.S Wavelength Services Leaderboard
The Future of Wavelength Services
The future of wavelength services looks promising, with continuous advancements and increased adoption expected in the coming years.
The popularity of AI and machine learning is a driving factor in wavelength service usage, as it demands robust data transmission for real-time data processing and decision-making. Internet of Things (IoT) devices also require efficient and reliable data transmission, which further positions these services as a critical infrastructure component.
Wavelength services represent a significant leap forward in WAN connectivity, offering high performance, security, and scalability. As businesses continue to rely on data-driven operations, the adoption of wavelength services will continue to be a valuable option in meeting the ever-growing demands of the digital age
Learn how Carrier Fiber Routes data and other datasets featuring telecommunications infrastructure can benefit organizations today. Contact GeoTel’s specialists today for a free, personalized demo.
