Keysight Technologies, Inc., NTT Innovative Devices Corporation and Lumentum Holdings Inc. has announced a pioneering joint demonstration of 448 Gbps data transmission using 224 GBaud PAM4 optical technology at the Optical Fibre Communication Conference and Exhibition (OFC) 2025. This collaboration addresses the escalating bandwidth demands of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) applications, enabling the development of power-efficient 3.2 terabit (Tbps) interfaces for future data centre networks.
Keysight is enabling the industry in the early R&D stage for 448 Gbps. During this early R&D innovation phase, experts explore various modulation schemes, including PAM4, PAM6 and PAM8. Notably, for 224 Gbps optical transmission, the industry has already embraced PAM4 as the preferred choice, highlighting the industry’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of high-speed data transmission and setting new standards for the future.
AI and ML applications require ultra-fast, real-time data processing. The 448 Gbps transmission speed accelerates data movement between compute and network nodes, reducing latency and enhancing AI/ML model efficiency. As these models become increasingly complex, higher data throughput is essential to support scalability without bottlenecks. Additionally, this breakthrough improves data centre efficiency, lowering operational costs and minimising environmental impact.
The demonstration utilises two Keysight M8199B Arbitrary Waveform Generators with NTT’s advanced frequency-domain interleaver to generate 448 Gbps electrical signals with 224 Gbaud PAM4. This signal is used to drive a Lumentum indium phosphide (InP) externally-modulated laser (EML), showcasing the potential for high-speed, power-efficient optical interconnects. Successful generation of 240 Gbaud PAM4 is also demonstrated using the same hardware.
The demonstration features the latest 224 GBaud and beyond PAM4 technology, which enables 448 Gbps per lane data transmission and paves the way for developing power-efficient 3.2T interfaces for data centre networks (DCN). This achievement represents a leap forward in achieving higher data rates and improved signal integrity.
The joint demonstration consists of:
Akimasa Kaneko, the executive vice president of photonic component business group at NTT Innovative Devices, said: “We see this collaboration between the three companies as an important step in further evolving next-generation high-speed optical communications and the AI infrastructure. We are confident that we have prepared the fundamental technologies necessary to realise 400G/lane in a timely manner, and we hope that this will help further develop this industry.”
Matthew Sysak, the chief technology officer of cloud and networking platform at Lumentum, said: “Achieving 448 Gbps transmission is a significant milestone in advancing optical interconnects for AI-driven cloud infrastructure. This collaboration underscores Lumentum’s expertise in photonics and our commitment to delivering cutting-edge optical components that support the rapid expansion of AI and cloud data centres. As AI and ML applications require real-time processing of ever-growing datasets, our high-performance externally modulated lasers will be instrumental in enabling faster, more efficient and scalable data centre networks.”
Joachim Peerlings, the vice president of network and data centre solutions at Keysight Technologies, said: “This collaboration showcases the cutting-edge advancements in high-speed optical communication and highlights the combined strengths of Keysight, NTT Innovative Devices and Lumentum. This demo is another milestone for Keysight to enable the industry in advancing the AI infrastructure, laying the foundation for future generations to innovate in new and transformative ways.”
The Keysight M8199B Arbitrary Waveform Generator and Keysight N1032A/B DCA-X Sampling Oscilloscopes are part of the Keysight Artificial Intelligence (KAI) architecture, a portfolio of end-to-end solutions designed to help customers scale artificial intelligence (AI) processing capacity in data centres.
The 448 Gbps joint demonstration will be showcased for the first time at booth #1301 during OFC 2025, April 1-3, at the Moscone Centre in San Francisco, California.
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