Lumen Selects Ciena Optical Tech to Support AI Workloads

Ciena’s WaveLogic 6 technology significantly increases network capacity, performance and speed

HANOVER, Md. & DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lumen Technologies (NYSE:LUMN), the trusted network for AI, is enhancing its network with Ciena’s (NYSE:CIEN) coherent optical innovations. This will strengthen Lumen’s ability to deliver highly tailored, scalable connectivity services to major cloud and data center providers striving to keep pace with the growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) workloads and associated traffic.

“AI is reshaping industries, and the network is the enabler of this transformation. To meet growing demand, Lumen is executing one of the largest internet expansions ever seen. Ciena will play a key role in helping us build the backbone for the AI economy, giving our customers across the globe the capacity, programmability and capability they need to make the most of the AI era,” Kye Prigg, Executive Vice President, Enterprise Operations, Lumen Technologies.

As Lumen’s preferred optical vendor, Ciena plays a key role positioning Lumen to meet AI demand. Lumen will utilize Ciena’s WaveLogic 6 Extreme (WL6e) – the industry’s first high-bandwidth 1.6 Tb/s coherent transceiver powered by innovative 3nm silicon in its network to drive significant economic benefits for operators, including a 50% reduction in space and power per bit. Ciena’s Navigator Control Suite (NCS) will help automate the management and control of Lumen’s fiber assets.

“We are amid a truly transformative era, one akin to the dawn of the internet itself. And the enabler of this era is not the AI, but the network. Now more than ever, we need robust, dynamic and scalable networks to cater to growth that was previously unfathomable but is now simply the standard. Lumen is a network that is continually pushing the limits, and its customers across the world will be perfectly positioned to benefit,” said Dino DiPerna, Senior Vice President, Global Research and Development, Ciena.

About Lumen Technologies

Lumen is unleashing the world's digital potential. We ignite business growth by connecting people, data, and applications – quickly, securely, and effortlessly. As the trusted network for AI, Lumen uses the scale of our network to help companies realize AI's full potential. From metro connectivity to long-haul data transport to our edge cloud, security, managed service, and digital platform capabilities, we meet our customers' needs today and as they build for tomorrow. For news and insights visit news.lumen.com, LinkedIn: /lumentechnologies, X: @lumentechco, Facebook: /lumentechnologies, Instagram: @lumentechnologies, and YouTube: /lumentechnologies.

About Ciena

Ciena (NYSE: CIEN) is a global leader in networking systems, services, and software. We build the most adaptive networks in the industry, enabling customers to anticipate and meet ever-increasing digital demands. For three-plus decades, Ciena has brought our humanity to our relentless pursuit of innovation. Prioritizing collaborative relationships with our customers, partners, and communities, we create flexible, open, and sustainable networks that better serve all users—today and into the future. For updates on Ciena, follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, the Ciena Insights blog, or visit www.ciena.com.

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