A1 Completes Modernization of International WDWM Network

A1 Telekom Austria extended and modernized its international Wideband Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDWM) network. It is now leveraging the Nokia 1830 PSS optical transport platform.

This technology significantly enhances A1’s capacity to handle vastly increased bandwidth. Thanks to the introduction of an additional WDM frequency band, the L-band,  A1 doubles the available fiber spectrum, and thus can deploy two times more wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) channels over their existing fiber infrastructure.

The newly implemented Nokia 1830 PSS system is at the heart of this upgrade, offering advanced spectrum flexibility and optimized performance across the network. This technology allows A1 to deliver higher capacity, greater scalability, and improved reliability, ensuring that its customers benefit from seamless connectivity and greater throughput.

As a result of the modernization, A1 is now capable of transporting data at speeds up to 400 Gbps, 600 Gbps and 800 Gbps with plans to scale up to an 1.2 Tbps in the near future. This represents a significant leap from the previous maximum of 100 Gbps, enabling A1 to meet the growing demand for high-capacity services and provide customers with unprecedented levels of network performance.

As part of the modernization, A1 replaced 68 ILA sites and 24 Ad-Drop nodes across 6,478 kilometers of its fiber infrastructure. The integration of the new amplifiers posed significant technical challenges, particularly the migration of amplifiers between add-drop nodes, which had to be completed within the same maintenance window. However, through exemplary coordination with local partners, A1 overcame these obstacles, ensuring the smooth execution of the project.

The comprehensive modernization process enables A1 to offer an enhanced and fully optimized network that serves customers across three best-in-class routes from the Turkish border to Frankfurt. This upgraded network provides robust connectivity to all major capitals and cities between Turkey and Germany, ensuring that our customers can access high-speed services across the entire region.