24 July 2025
PacketLight Networks has announced the launch of their latest innovation — the PL-8000G 10 x 800G Transponder — designed to meet the escalating demand for high-capacity, cost-efficient optical transport infrastructure.
This cutting-edge device supports ten 800G transponders, empowering service providers to deliver a diverse array of high-speed services — including 800GbE, 400GbE, and 100GbE — over ultra-capacity 800G DWDM wavelengths, thereby maximizing network efficiency and scalability.
The PL-8000G seamlessly integrates erbium-doped fibre amplifiers (EDFA) and an advanced Optical Switch (OSW), enhancing network resilience by compensating for fibre attenuation and enabling automatic protection switching in the event of fibre failures — an essential feature for mission-critical applications. Its modular, stackable architecture aligns with PacketLight’s pay-as-you-grow philosophy, allowing operators to expand their networks incrementally without the burden of restrictive licensing fees. This design ensures a smooth transition as optical networks evolve, safeguarding investments for hyperscalers, cloud providers, telecom operators, and government agencies seeking future-proofed solutions.
Ideal for supporting ultra-low-latency, high-bandwidth GPU cluster interconnectivity, the PL-8000G is perfect for AI and ML applications, cloud-scale data center interconnects (DCI), and hyperscale deployments. It also functions as a last-mile aggregation platform for managed 100GbE, 400GbE, and 800GbE services, optimizing transport efficiency across diverse network segments.
Supporting ZR and ZR+ standards, the PL-8000G enables economical optical transport across metro, regional, and long-haul networks. It offers a clear demarcation point between client services and the DWDM transport layer, with comprehensive optical and service performance monitoring to ensure optimal operation. Designed for multi-vendor environments, it supports OpenZR+ and OpenROADM interoperability, facilitating seamless integration with third-party routers and switches. Additional features include robust line and service performance monitoring, remote management via out-of-band OSC, and field-replaceable components for straightforward maintenance, making the PL-8000G a versatile and future-ready solution for high-capacity optical transport needs.
