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Openreach is deploying Ciena Waveserver technology powered by WaveLogic 6 in its Optical Spectrum Extended Access (OSEA) portfolio for UK wholesale customers. The 1.6Tb/s figure refers to capacity on an optical wavelength—not a residential broadband speed. Openreach says the design will carry 400G and 800G client services and introduce national 800G wholesale services.
What does Openreach’s 1.6Tbps Ciena deal mean?
It is an upgrade to Openreach’s wholesale optical network, aimed at providers that need high-capacity connections for specialist sites. The company says the deployment will support connections to data centers, cable landing stations and core-network locations, as well as private-cloud networks.
Openreach describes the arrangement as part of OSEA, its Optical Spectrum Extended Access portfolio. Wholesale providers can use these connections to move large volumes of traffic between sites. This is carrier infrastructure procured for network services, not an offer to households for faster home broadband.
The announcement says the system uses dedicated 1.6Tb/s wavelengths to carry 400G and 800G client traffic. Those numbers describe different layers: 1.6Tb/s is the capacity of the optical wavelength, while 400G and 800G refer to the client services carried over it. Openreach says a 2RU chassis can support up to 32 × 400G services. These are figures stated in the company-attributed announcement, not independently tested results.
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- Detects optical power in single-mode and multimode fiber wavelengths (near infrared range 850 to 1625 nm)
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- “Non-contact” detector lessens the risk of damage to fiber optics; suitable for ports and patch cords, SM, MM, UPC and APC connections
- LightBeat flashes to indicate operation and battery status; powers off after five minutes to preserve battery (2xAAA, included)
- Two-year warranty
What is WaveLogic 6?
WaveLogic 6 is Ciena’s coherent optical technology family, used to transmit high-capacity signals over fiber. Openreach’s announcement names Ciena Waveserver powered by WaveLogic 6, but does not specify which WaveLogic 6 variant is being deployed. It would therefore be inaccurate to say that this Openreach deployment uses either WaveLogic 6 Extreme or WaveLogic 6 Nano specifically.
Ciena’s 2023 product announcement distinguishes the family’s offerings by their intended use:
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- Low Loss & High Bandwidth: Single-mode OS1 fiber patch cable exhibits exceptionally low signal attenuation (typically ranging from about 0.35dB/km to 0.4dB/km) at wavelengths of 1310nm and 1550nm, assuring efficient data transmission even over tens or hundreds of kilometers. This feature, coupled with its substantial bandwidth potential, guarantees superior performance in extending networks across vast distances.
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- Mechanical Properties: LC to ST Single mode Duplex OS1 fiber patch cords operate at -20ºC to +70ºC and have a minimum installation bending radius of 5.0 cm and a minimum long term bending radius of 3 cm. This OS1 LC to ST Fiber Patch Cable Single mode is specially designed for fast Ethernet, Fiber Channel, Gigabit Ethernet Speeds, data center, premises, educational, LAN, SAN, commercial applications.
| Product family | Ciena’s stated focus | Capabilities described by Ciena |
|---|---|---|
| WaveLogic 6 Extreme (WL6e) | Performance-oriented coherent optics | Up to 1.6Tb/s single-carrier wavelengths in metro ROADM deployments, and 800Gb/s on the longest links. |
| WaveLogic 6 Nano (WL6n) | Footprint-oriented coherent pluggables | 400G–800G applications, including interoperable 800ZR data-center interconnect. |
These are Ciena’s descriptions of its product family, not confirmation that Openreach is using both variants. The announcement does not identify the specific variant or provide detailed reach, configuration or rollout information.
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Which services and network uses are described?
Openreach says the deployment will introduce national 800G services for wholesale customers and provide a path to faster services as customer needs grow. The release lists several intended applications:
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- 【Widely Used】2.5mm Universal Connector - the connector of this fiber tester is compatibly designed for ST, SC, FC, LC interferes both in the circle and square shape of different fiber optic cables. It can be used for CATV telecommunications engineering maintenance, integrated wiring system optical fiber engineering, optical device production and research, optical telecommunications, optical measurement drive engineering, etc.
- 【Long Output Distance】These fiber optic tools have strong output. The high-efficiency power supply circuit ensures a stable power supply.
- 【Crash-proof and Dust-proof Design】Our visual fault locator fiber optic is designed with stainless steel head and aluminum body to prevent crash and dust, and the case ground design prevents damage efficiently.
- Data-center connections: high-capacity links between data centers and other network sites.
- Private-cloud networks: connectivity for organizations linking cloud infrastructure across locations.
- Cable landing stations: links between international subsea cable landing sites and data centers.
- Core-network access and backhaul: connections to core-intersect nodes.
- Resilient connectivity: services using different UK fiber routes, so a service can have route diversity.
Openreach says Ciena will provide specialist support to deploy, proactively monitor and maintain the OSEA optical product. The announcement does not name customers, specific routes, contract value, service prices or exact rollout dates.
What has Openreach said about demand?
Nicolas Lemaitre, Openreach’s Director of Products, said: “Demand for fast, reliable connectivity is growing rapidly. This investment shows how Openreach is strengthening its network to support wholesale customers across the UK. By using Ciena’s Waveserver and WL6 technology, we’re preparing our services for the next wave of digital growth, including increasing demand from AI applications and Critical National Infrastructure.”
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- 【Multi Testers Tool Sets】This fiber optic termination tool kit includes OPM, visual fault locator, fiber cleaning pen, fiber cleaner cassette, fiber cleaver, fiber stripper, Kevlar scissors, FC to LC adapter, cleaning core, liquid dispenser, fiber cleaning swabs, fiber cleaner wipes, fiber optic tool bag. This fiber optic tool kit is used for fiber stripping, cleaving, cleaning and testing. It provides the fiber optic tools you need to assemble mechanical splices and delivers greater work efficiency.
- 【Fiber Cleaning Kit】1.25mm & 2.5mm fiber optic cleaner pen & fiber optic cleaning box are used to clean LC/MU/SC/FC/ST/MTP/MPO/D4/DIN ferrule end face. The fiber cleaner can effectively clean stains and prevent dust from adhering to the ferrule again after cleaning.
- 【Visual Fault Locator Fiber Optic】Our fiber tester can intuitively and accurately detect and locate fiber breaks, poor connections, bends or cracks. It is designed for SC, FC, LC, ST interfaces both in circle and square shape of different fiber optic cables. The fiber optic tester has strong output power.
- 【Fiber Optic Meter with FC to LC Adapter】The fiber optic cable tester can measure 10 standdard wavelengths 850/980/1270/1300/1310/1490/1550/1577/1625/1650nm with a test range of -70dBm~+10dBm. The measurement error is less than ±0.2dB. Support simultaneous display of linear mW and nonlinear index dBm.
- 【Fiber Optic Cleaver】3-in-1 high precision fiber cleaver is used to cut bare fiber (0.25mm), pigtail (0.9mm) and leather cable. It has 16 cutting points, the cutting angle is about 0.5 degree, and it can cut about 36000 times.
That statement sets out the company’s rationale; it is not an independent measurement of demand or proof of a particular performance outcome. The announcement also describes Openreach as serving more than 680 service providers. That is an Openreach-reported company figure, not an independently audited market count.
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What the announcement does—and does not—establish
The release establishes the named platform, intended wholesale role and stated service design. It does not provide independent testing or third-party measurements tied to this deployment. It also leaves the specific customer deployments, routes, commercial terms and deployment schedule unspecified. As a result, the stated capacity and national-service claims should be understood as Openreach’s announcement rather than independently verified outcomes.
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- FTTH Equipment Accessories: Fiber optic tool bag, Optical Fiber Cleaver, OPM, fiber optic stripping pliers, cleaning bottle, cleaning paper, 2-in-1 fixed length device
- X5 Fiber Cleaver: Fiber Fixture is suitable for bare fiber, pigtail and leather cable. Applicable to single fiber 0.25/0.9/3.0mm fiber. With Fiber Scrap Collection box, this fiber cleaver is compact and light-weight, convenient to carry and use
- Optical Power Meter: 3 in 1 Function OPM and RJ45 Network test and LED. It Needs 2x AAA Batteries. Note: Batteries Not Included in package
- Comprehensive Tool Set: Complete fiber optic termination kit includes all essential tools needed for FTTH cable cold welding and fiber optic installation projects
- Portable Design: Organized tool bag keeps all fiber optic equipment and accessories secure and easily accessible for field work and on-site installations
Sources: Ciena’s WaveLogic 6 product announcement (February 21, 2023); Openreach’s announcement (October 7, 2026).
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