DWDM Optimization: Ciena vs. ADVA for <50ms Global finances

Abstract

Optical transport with ultra-low latency has become a key factor in competition for high-frequency trading and real-time settlement, pushing the tolerable end-to-end (round-trip) delay on intercontinental routes down to less than 50 ms. This study compares the two leading open-line DWDM ecosystems: a 6500 with WaveLogic 5 Nano and the ADVA FSP 3000 TeraFlex. This system comprises five nodes of a global ring located in New York, London, Frankfurt, and Singapore. Launch power, baud rate, FEC overhead, amplifier spacing, and FlexGrid slot width are simultaneously optimized using a multi-objective genetic algorithm, which minimizes latency, maximizes OSNR, and achieves a given spectral efficiency while subject to ten-year power and capital cost constraints. GNPy models physical layer impairments, such as propagation delay and data capture, capture on 100 km recirculating fiber loops with nanosecond-grade timestamping. Ciena meets the 50 ms round-trip target and has a consistent 0.7–1.9 ms advantage on trans-oceanic spans, partly due to shorter FEC codewords and shallower DSP pipelines, as well as hybrid Raman/EDFA repeaters that reduce regeneration events. On shorter European legs, the ADVA achieves comparable performance, while it results in marginal CAPEX savings when electricity or leased spectrum is a prominent component of operating costs. Although Ciena is ranked 0.87 against ADVA, 0.83 when weighted composite fitness scores are tailored to focus on latency (35%), OSNR, protection speed, spectral efficiency, and total cost, sensitivity sweeps illustrate cases where ADVA could outperform Ciena. Hybrid Raman amplification, byte-aligned FEC, FlexGrid slot adaptation, and 1+1 protection are suggested by robust design guidelines carefully distilled from the Pareto frontier to ensure deterministic performance. They establish a reproducible benchmark and inform future adoption across the global financial backbones, featuring terabit-class engines, AI-driven power tuning, pluggable ZR+ optics, and quantum-safe encryption.