Advanced long‑reach optical transport with OTDR SFP technology delivers 10x capacity increase while improving reliability and eliminating the need for costly repeaters
Plano, Texas, June 1, 2026 – Zhone Technologies, Inc. (“Zhone” or the “Company”), a global leader in access and optical transport solutions, today announced that Vianet, a Sudbury‑based regional communications service provider, has successfully deployed the Zhone Saber optical transport platform to upgrade its core backbone network to multiple 100‑gigabit channel capacity between Sudbury and Barrie, Ontario.
The deployment enables Vianet to increase specific long-haul backbone route throughput by 10x, scaling from multiple 10G channels to multiple 100G channels, while significantly improving network resilience through enhanced redundancy. Completed in 2025, the project finalizes the multi 100G optical path connecting Sudbury, Parry Sound, Essa, and Barrie, strengthening critical connectivity across Northern Ontario.
“Upgrading parts of our Northern Ontario long-haul transport backbone to 100G channels was a key step in meeting growing bandwidth demands while improving overall network reliability,” said Will Gasteiger, President and Founder of Vianet. “With Zhone Saber, we were able to achieve multi hundred gigabit transport links across extremely long fiber distances without deploying intermediate remote repeater sites, allowing us to control costs while building a more robust and resilient network.”
Designed by Zhone’s Centers of Excellence located in Ottawa, Canada and in Germany, Vianet deployed the Saber modular Optical Transport Technology, enabling reliable 100G transmission over fiber spans of up to 180 kilometers—a significant technical achievement for long‑reach optical transport.
“Delivering 100G channels over distances of up to 180 kilometers without intermediate amplification is a powerful differentiator for regional service providers,” said Clayton Zekelman, CEO at Zhone. “Vianet continues to demonstrate industry leadership, and we are proud to support their network evolution with our Saber optical transport solution.”
By eliminating the need for intermediate repeater sites, Zhone Saber enabled Vianet to avoid costly infrastructure investments while increasing network availability and operational robustness. The upgraded backbone positions Vianet to support current and future residential broadband services with greater scale, performance, and reliability.
Vianet has partnered with Zhone since 2011 for broadband access solutions and selected Zhone for optical transport based on long‑standing trust, proven performance, and architectural flexibility. The Saber deployment also represents a competitive displacement of legacy optical transport equipment, further strengthening Zhone’s role as Vianet’s primary network infrastructure partner.
Learn more about Zhone’s Saber platform and its industry-first hardened coherent optical transport solutions.
About Vianet
Vianet is a regional communications service provider headquartered in Sudbury, Ontario, delivering high‑quality broadband services to residential, commercial and wholesale customers across Northern and Central Ontario, Simcoe County and Durham, York, Peel Regions. With a strong focus on customer experience and network reliability, Vianet continues to invest in advanced technologies to meet the growing connectivity needs of its communities. For more information, visit www.vianet.ca.
About Zhone Technologies
Zhone Technologies is a global leader in access and optical transport solutions that empower service providers to build scalable, resilient, and future‑ready broadband networks. With R&D Centers of Excellence are located in U.S.A., Canada, Vietnam, India. Zhone Technologies enable reliable, high‑performance connectivity to support next‑generation residential and business services. For more information, visit www.zhone.com.
Press Contact: John Higgins at 469-581-9204, john.higgins@zhone.com.