Alcatel-Lucent and Zain KSA today announced the completion of an Agile Optical Network to provide ultra-broadband access throughout Saudi Arabia.

The fiber-optic backbone network is based on converged wavelength division multiplexing/optical transport (WDM/OTN) technology, enabling Zain to provide 100 gigabits-per-second (100G) capability throughout the country main metros.

Zain and Alcatel-Lucent are also conducting a trial of 400 Gigabit-per-second (Gbps) data transmission over an existing optical link carrying live network traffic in the major western city of Jeddah. Alcatel-Lucent’s 400G optical solution, based on the 400 Gbps Photonic Service Engine (PSE) platform, supports the emergence of new high-bandwidth, high-performance.

Zain has made the nationwide deployment of fiber-based mobile ultra-broadband access to support the increasing network capacity demands of 4G LTE.

Alcatel-Lucent has provided its converged WDM/OTN platform, the 1830 Photonic Service Switch (PSS), to address the booming demand for high-bandwidth data services such as high-definition video streaming, next-generation mobile broadband applications and cloud services.

100G fiber-optic technology takes advantage of unique silicon innovations from Alcatel-Lucent’s Bell Labs and supports a capacity of up to 8.8 Terabit per second - the equivalent of 1.32 million HDTV channels streamed at thesame time - over a single optical fiber.

Zain and Alcatel-Lucent are conducting a 400G data transmission trial in Jeddah, over an existing optical link carrying live network.

Hassan Kabbani, CEO of Zain KSA, said: “The 400G trial underscores our leadership within the Middle East and reinforces our commitment to maintaining leading-edge high-speed Internet capability.”

Amr K. El-Leithy, President of Alcatel-Lucent’s Middle East, Africa, Turkey and Azerbaijan region, said: “The geography of Saudi Arabia is challenging so Zain was looking for a technology provider to build an ultra-broadband network foundation that can serve a wide territory both cost-efficiently and effectively. Plus, as the first operators in the Middle East to experience the capabilities of the 400G technology, Zain has positioned itself at the forefront of high-capacity optical networking.”