Siemens, Belgacom partner for Continental Europe next-gen optical network

Siemens Communications will work with Belgacom ICS to develop the first telecom network based on ROADM technology (reconfigurable optical add and drop multiplexer) in continental Europe.

This innovative concept would not only increase the flexibility and the overall quality of the network, but also reduce provisioning time while significantly lowering costs, a statement from Siemens said.

The new fiber-based network would link 16 European telecom nodes and enable Belgacom ICS to offer its customers transmission capacity of up to 40Gbps wavelengths, the statement added.

Belgacom ICS's new optical backbone would link 16 network nodes in seven European countries, including Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and, at a later stage, Italy, the statement further said.

The deployment is phased from May to August.