Ethernet Alliance at OFC 2023 Live Interoperability Demonstrations

Featuring 18 different participating member companies, the Ethernet Alliance interoperability demo spanned diverse Ethernet technologies ranging from 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) to 800GbE. The interoperability display featured a live network between the Ethernet Alliance and the Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF), EXFO Inc., Spirent Communications, and Viavi Solutions Inc. booths.

The network leveraged single-mode optical fibers with high-speed traffic originating from an array of switches, routers, interconnects, including copper and optical cables. It also showcased various interconnects using multiple pluggable form factors such as OSFP, QSFP-DD, QSFP, and SFP, and multiple interface types including OIF 400ZR, OpenZR+ MSA 400ZR+, and 800G-ETC-CR8. Finally, there were live demonstrations from BERT and AN/LT test equipment. The display uniquely captured Ethernet’s 50-year track record of success, illustrates the need for a “living lab” of next-generation technologies, and sets the stage for its next evolutionary phase.