Telstra and Ciena Achieve Record 1.6 Tb/s Transmission Over 1,100km

Telstra and Ciena Achieve Record 1.6 Tb/s Transmission Over 1,100km

SYDNEY - September 8, 2026

• World-first ultra-high-capacity wavelength transmission over the longest distance achieved to-date using a single channel
• WaveLogic 6 Extreme delivers a 100% increase in per-channel capacity and approximately 14% increase in total system capacity
• Addition of L-band further doubles usable spectrum, enabling up to two times more capacity per fibre

Telstra successfully transported four 400GbE client services over a single wavelength, without regeneration, operating in L-band spectrum between Melbourne and Sydney on a live production network running on Ciena's (NYSE: CIEN) WaveLogic 6 Extreme ( WL6e). The milestone extends the distance over which the companies previously demonstrated 1.6 Tb/s transmission by approximately 50% to approximately 1,100 km, across one of Australia's busiest intercity network corridors.

Telstra Digital Infrastructure Executive Sandy Cameron said, "This trial demonstrates how Telstra's Aura Network can unlock significantly more capacity by extending beyond the traditional C-band into L-band spectrum. For customers, that means greater scalability and the ability to support growing demand from AI, cloud, and data-intensive applications across Australia, both today and into the future."

"This achievement raises the bar for what's possible in terrestrial optical networking," said Matt Vesperman, Vice President, Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands, Ciena. "Ciena's industry-leading coherent optical technology powers Telstra's advanced Aura Network, unlocking additional capacity through L-band expansion and realising unprecedented performance at distances previously thought unattainable."

To optimise the use of optical spectrum beyond the traditional C-band, Telstra leveraged Ciena's 6500 Reconfigurable Line System (RLS) C+L band optical line system, together with WL6e. Telstra's Aura Network also made possible this landmark feat as a high-performing fibre route that delivers ultra-low loss infrastructure.

About Ciena
Ciena is the global leader in high-speed connectivity. We build the world's most advanced networks to support exponential growth in bandwidth demand. By harnessing the power of our networking systems, interconnects, automation software, and services, Ciena revolutionizes data transmission and network management. With unparalleled expertise and innovation, we empower our customers, partners, and communities to thrive in the AI era. For updates on Ciena, follow us on  LinkedIn or visit the Ciena website.

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