Spectrum

A high bandwidth long-haul fibre solution

A high-bandwidth long-haul solution for hyperscalers

Pair your hardware with our award-winning extensive optical network. Providing the flexibility, control and upgradability of a long-haul fibre network, Spectrum helps you cut time-to-market for new routes, and provides a simplified operational model to support multi-terabit network expansion activities.

Explore Spectrum features

Colt Spectrum enables hyperscale customers to have the control and flexibility to put into place ultra-high capacity solutions now, leveraging the Colt IQ Network. We have the reach, scale, knowledge and experience to partner with our customers on this bandwidth growth path.

David Williams Product Manager, Optical Networks, Colt

Why choose Spectrum?

  • Scalability and Control

    You have full control of Dark Fibre, without the capital cost or operational overhead of deploying long-haul dark fibre or build-out of a photonic layer

  • Network Diversity

    We understand the importance of network route diversity, so we work with you to design a diverse path from other routes you currently use, or provide a clear secondary diverse path

  • Future-proofed

    Colt Spectrum provides support for various different modulation schemes, opening up the possibility of delivering future upgrades as technology changes

  • Ownership economics

    Leverage existing DWDM assets, and providing a migration path towards or away from Dark Fibre as required

  • Simplicity

    Add, remove or reconfigure up to 100G wavelengths to meet the demands of your business

  • Unprecedented reach

    We're connected to 29,000+ buildings and 900+ data centres in Europe, Asia and America, more than any other carrier

Live chat with the experts

Have you got questions about our service? Or how it can benefit your business? Live chat now with sales to find out.

Colt Spectrum explained

  • Colt Spectrum is a hyperscale connectivity product which uses Colt’s dedicated network at the photonic layer to provide services over long-haul distances. Customer’s use their own optical transponder equipment to connect to the Colt IQ Network in blocks of 50GHz optical channels – with the advantage that Colt manages the underlying line system

    Alternatively, Dark Fibre can be leased to enable customer to meet capacities of 2Tb+ but this requires increased equipment and networking experience to light, monitor and manage the service.

  • Spectrum is available based on 50Ghz channels, and provides access to an optical core network based on DWDM technology consisting of fibre, ROADM nodes and amplification infrastructure – collectively known as a photonic layer. The photonic layer connects key service locations such as data centres and Colt network nodes.

    The Colt platform supports transport of coherent wavelengths, based on a modulation scheme of your choice: QPSK, 8QAM or 16QAM. Other modulation schemes may be supported, please get in touch to discuss your requirements in more detail.

  • Yes! Our state of the art optical foundation on the Colt IQ Network enables delivery of 100GB or 400GB connections as a service to our customers.

  • Spectrum is predominantly built for companies looking for multiple 100G wavelengths between two points on a national or international basis. Colt Spectrum is provided based on individual design, and utilises the Ciena ROADM network and line system – known collectively as the ‘Photonic layer’.

  • Colt Spectrum offers the option of either fixed-grid (50Ghz) channels, or flexible-grid channels based on 12.5Ghz increments. Flexible-grid services are available in channel sizes of 62.5GHz, 75GHz, 87.5GHz, 100GHz and 112.5GHz. Larger, flexible-grid channels offer the potential to transport higher bandwidth wavelengths, leveraging advances in transponder technology which utilise higher data rates (for example, 95Gigabaud).

    These solutions provide access to Colt’s optical core network which is based on DWDM technology consisting of fibre, ROADM nodes and amplification infrastructure – collectively known as a photonic layer. The photonic layer connects key service locations such as data centres and Colt network nodes.

    The Colt platform supports transport of coherent wavelengths, based on a modulation scheme of your choice: QPSK, 8QAM or 16QAM.

    Other modulation schemes may be supported, please get in touch to discuss your requirements in more detail.

Our Customers

Lead the way to a ultra-high capacity solution

Have you got questions about our service? Or how it can benefit your business? Live chat now with sales to find out.