Ericsson and Australian mobile operator Telstra have successfully demonstrated the ability to encrypt data securely while in transit between Los Angeles and Melbourne at 10Gbps, using Ciena’s ultra-low latency 10G wire-speed encryption solution. While encryption solutions exist today to protect data when it is ‘at rest’ (at the start and end points), this trial demonstrates the advanced security that can be delivered while data is ‘in transit’; that is, being transmitted beyond the walls of a datacenter across large networks, without any impact to performance.
With the digitalization of business processes and data consumption rising at a rapid rate, the need to keep data secure without compromising integrity or increasing latency is essential at both the application and network layers.
“Our market-leading subsea cable network is the largest in the Asia-Pacific region and this innovation continues our commitment to providing customers with a world-class network experience,” said Darrin Webb, Executive Director of International Operations and Services, Telstra. “The outcome of this test shows that data can now be encrypted while in transit across a long distance, while maintaining the speed and reliability our customers have come to expect from our international network. We will continue to work with Ericsson and Ciena to take this trial to the next level with a 100Gbps encryption test.”
Emilio Romeo, Head of Customer Unit Australia and New Zealand, Ericsson, added: “This time last year Telstra and Ericsson achieved an encryption trial between Melbourne and Sydney. We have now extended the distance from Melbourne to Los Angeles with data in transit encryption at 10Gbps, which is the typical speed used today over these distances without encryption. Ericsson brings our optical network systems expertise to progress these tests and support Telstra’s path toward commercialization of this enhanced security capability.”
Ericsson and Telstra will next demonstrate 100Gbps encryption between Los Angeles and Melbourne in the first half of 2017.
