Spirent unveils cutting-edge Ethernet solutions at OFC 2025

Spirent Communications is set to present its latest Ethernet validation solutions at the OFC 2025 Conference in San Francisco.

The company will display its 400G, 800G, and 1.6T Ethernet validation solutions, responding to the increasing demand for high-bandwidth, low-latency networking driven by AI workloads. Spirent's test platforms are designed to validate reliability, scalability, and interoperability essential for next-generation data centres and cloud providers.

"The demand for high-speed, low-latency connectivity is continuing to accelerate as AI and hyperscale computing reshape modern networks, while at the same time AI is imposing unique demands on networks," said Aniket Khosla, Vice President of Wireline Product Management at Spirent. "With 800G adoption accelerating and 1.6 Terabit speed on the horizon, we'll be demonstrating to OFC attendees how Spirent is enabling the ecosystem to seamlessly transition to these higher speeds by delivering trusted, high-performance Ethernet validation."

The networking industry is currently undergoing a transformation due to AI workloads and the increasing use of AI back-end networks. According to Dell'Oro Group, spending on network switches in AI back-end networks is anticipated to nearly double by 2029. InfiniBand technology dominates these networks, but Ethernet is expected to capture significant market share over the next five years, with 800G switch ports anticipated for 2025 and 1.6T by 2027.

At the conference, Spirent will showcase a range of test solutions, including their 1.6T test solutions, which focus on ultra-low latency and lossless transport validation. The B3 800G Appliance will also be featured—an industry-first high-density test platform supporting the IEEE 802.3df specifications, aimed at accelerating AI-driven Ethernet adoption. Additionally, Spirent will demonstrate its 400G test solutions for cloud-scale networking and the award-winning M1 Compact Appliance, beneficial in IP networking and automotive Ethernet applications.

Spirent's solutions will be presented alongside technology partners including the Ethernet Alliance, PICadvanced, and others. Kohichi Tamura of CIG Photonics Japan noted, "High port count, cost-effective 800G test solutions with advanced equalisation capabilities are needed for validating the performance of 800G Linear Pluggable Optics (LPO) and Linear-Receive Optics (LRO), also known as Transmit Retimed Optics (TRO) and Retimed Transmit Linear Receive (RTLR) optics. Spirent's B3 800G Appliance is an industry-leading product that meets this critical need."

Yigal Ezra, CEO of ColorChip, expressed enthusiasm over the collaboration with Spirent to ensure seamless integration for their 800G OSFP ACC cable, essential for data centre applications.

Sean Davies from Eoptolink stated, "1.6T modules will be widely adapted starting from 2025 as Ethernet switches with 200G per lane are entering the market. The verification of Eoptolink 1.6T and 800G modules in Spirent high-speed Ethernet appliances offer customers a validated solution."

Infraeo's Rakesh Sambaraju highlighted the importance of their collaboration with Spirent in validating 1.6T ACC technology for AI and hyperscale data centres.

Rachad Samaha of MultiLane acknowledged the collaboration's role in meeting growing demand for rapid and comprehensive testing with their loopback technology.

PICadvanced's CEO Francisco Rodrigues emphasised the significance of Spirent M1 Traffic Emulator Appliance in replicating real-world traffic scenarios.

TE Connectivity representatives, Mike Arsenault and Ammar Riaz, underscored the critical role of Spirent in validating their high-performance copper and optical transceivers for current AI-driven deployments.