WDM / Optical Transport | CLATA TELECOM

WDM Technology

DWDM & CWDM Optical Transport

Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) multiplies the capacity of a single optical fiber by carrying multiple wavelengths (channels) simultaneously. CLATA supplies passive and active WDM platforms for metro aggregation, long-haul backbone, and data center interconnect — from 4-channel CWDM to 96-channel DWDM systems.

CWDM: 4–18 wavelengths, 20 nm spacing, 80 km passive reach

DWDM: up to 96 channels, 0.8 nm spacing, amplified reach to thousands of km

Passive WDM: no power required at intermediate sites — zero OPEX

Coherent DWDM: 100G/400G per wavelength with digital signal processing

Transponders and muxponders for legacy equipment integration

ROADM (Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexers) for flexible wavelength routing

CWDM vs. DWDM Comparison

Parameter	CWDM	DWDM
Max Channels	18	96
Channel Spacing	20 nm	0.8 nm (100 GHz)
Max Capacity	~180 Gbps	38.4 Tbps (400G x 96)
Passive Reach	Up to 80 km	Up to 80 km (unamplified)
Amplified Reach	Not amplified	Thousands of km (EDFA)
Cost	Lower	Higher
Best For	Metro, campus, short-haul	Long-haul, high-capacity

Passive WDM: No active electronics at intermediate sites — wavelengths are split/combined by passive optical components (AWGs, TFFs). Ideal for extending existing fiber with zero additional OPEX. CLATA designs and supplies complete passive WDM systems.

Use Cases

WDM Application Scenarios

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Metro Ring Aggregation

CWDM or DWDM ring connecting ISP PoPs, data centers, and corporate hubs across a metropolitan area. Each node adds/drops wavelengths for local traffic — remaining wavelengths pass through transparently.

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Data Center Interconnect (DCI)

100G/400G DWDM coherent links between data centers 10–100 km apart. Full duplex, encrypted (AES-256 MACsec on transport), hitless protection switching.

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Fiber Capacity Extension

Existing dark fiber or limited fiber pairs repurposed to carry 10x–100x more capacity via WDM. No civil works — pure optical upgrade at both ends of the span.