Approaching the Cosmic Speed Limit: Introducing Hollow Core Fibers for Low Latency and High Capacity (2022)

By Venk Mutalik, Amarildo Vieira, Dan Rice,Bob Gaydos, Elad Nafshi; Comcast

Folks already know that the speed limit in the Universe is the Speed of Light … nothing is faster. However, many will be surprised to know that light travels slower in an optical fiber than it does in free space! Due to light-matter interaction, the speed of light, which is about 300 million m/s in free-space is ‘only’ 200 million m/s in glass. But in a world that prizes getting the latest information fast, this fundamental additional latency can sometimes be limiting for many applications. This was dramatized best in the Selma Hayek movie the “Humming-Bird Project”, where she builds a set of line-of-sight microwave links to eliminate milliseconds worth of latency between the Chicago and New York bourses.

In this paper Comcast introduces Hollow Core Fibers and the cutting-edge work being done to reduce this fundamental latency and enhance capacity all at the same time. New fiber technology creates a fiber guiding mechanism that has a core that is hollow and consequently allows light to travel in the hollow of the fiber as-if in free space, but along the fiber path!

We describe a system which is a hybrid of hollow core fibers and standard single-mode fibers. Keeping in view that Comcast operates core and access networks this system has amplified and unamplified bidirectional Coherent systems of 400G and 100G wavelengths along with direct detect systems of 40G, 25G and 10G wavelengths all simultaneously on a single strand of fiber, in what we believe to be the first such system in the world.

In addition to describing our test system and initial results, we also analyze some of the benefits in addition to latency reduction that are related to reduced optical non-linearities and other effects and the wider spectrum and the consequent Capacity enhancements possible. Practical deployment strategy of fibers is essential at Comcast, the ability to use a portfolio of fibers for some of the emerging low latency market while also driving fiber technology deeper into the network is of the essence of our approach towards the industry initiative of 10G.

By clicking the "Download Paper" button, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions.

Similar Papers

Photon Avatars in the Comcast Cosmos: An End-to-End View of Comcast Core, Metro and Access Networks
By Venk Mutalik, Steve Ruppa, Fred Bartholf, Bob Gaydos, Steve Surdam, Amarildo Vieira, Dan Rice; Comcast
2022
Comcast Underground: Innovative Fiber Deployments Over Existing Underground Critical Infrastructure
By Venk Mutalik, Pat Wike, Doug Combs, Alan Gardiner, Dan Rice; Comcast
2022
Accelerating the Virtualization: Introducing Hybrid Fiber Shelf into the Mix
By Venk Mutalik, Bob Gaydos, Dan Rice & Jorge Salinger, Comcast
2020
Coherence After Turbulence: Coherent Links for Hurricane Relief in the Sunshine State
By Venk Mutalik, Comcast; Amarildo Vieira, Principal Optical Engineer; Dan Rice, Vice President; Eric Moore, Engineer; John Chrostowski, Executive Director; Scott Wood, Engineer; Elad Nafshi, Chief Network Officer
2023
Fiber QAM vs RF QAM: Demystifying Coherent Optics
By Amarildo Vieira, Ph.D., Comcast Connect; Venk Mutalik, Comcast; Dan Rice, Comcast; John Chrostowski, Comcast; Saif Rahman, Comcast
2023
Operationalizing the Grey Optics Architecture
By Venk Mutalik, Dan Rice, Bob Gaydos, Doug Combs & Pat Wike, Comcast
2020
Fifty Shades of Grey Optics: A Roadmap for Next Generation Access Networks
By Venk Mutalik, Bob Gaydos, Dan Rice & Doug Combs, Comcast
2019
It’s 10 PM: Do You Know Where Your Wavelengths Are?
By Venk Mutalik, Dan Rice, Rick Spanbauer, Simone Capuano, Rob Gonsalves & Bob Gaydos, Comcast
2020
The Yin And The Yang Of A Move To All Fiber: Transforming HFC To An All Fiber Network While Leveraging The Deployed HFC Assets
By Venk Mutalik, Marcel Schemmann, Zoran Maricevic, and John Ulm, ARRIS Group
2015
Fastest Path to Low Latency Services
By Sebnem Ozer, Ph.D., Comcast
2021
More Results >>