Case Study: Nokia Bell Labs achieves 260 GBaud, 100 km coherent data-speed record with Keysight's M8199B AWG

Nokia Sets Data Speed Record First 260 GBaud-coherent data transmission over 100 km

Nokia Bell Labs faced the challenge of pushing coherent optical symbol rates beyond existing limits to meet growing bandwidth demand, constrained by DAC bandwidth, Mach‑Zehnder modulator performance, and the complexity of compensating for limited bandwidth with nonlinear DSP and MLSE. To explore higher symbol rates, Nokia Bell Labs partnered with Keysight and used Keysight’s high‑speed arbitrary waveform generator (M8199B) alongside advanced modulator technology.

Keysight worked with Nokia Bell Labs to combine the M8199B AWG with a thin‑film lithium niobate I/Q modulator, enabling a 260 GBaud DP‑QPSK transmission over 100 km of standard single‑mode fiber without nonlinear DSP or MLSE. The Keysight‑enabled setup delivered a record 260 GBaud symbol rate, demonstrated net bitrates beyond 2 Tbit/s per wavelength, and showed a clear path to higher‑rate, more energy‑efficient long‑haul transponders.

Nokia Bell Labs

Haïk Mardoyan

Senior Research Scientist