News

February 25, 2026
BB Backbone Corp.

 

 

 

BB Backbone Corp. (“BB Backbone”; President, CEO, and CISO: Naoki Yamamoto; Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo), in collaboration with Cisco Systems G.K. (“Cisco”; President and Executive Officer: Yoshiyuki Hamada; Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo), has successfully verified the practicality of long-distance transmission utilizing BB Backbone’s wavelength leasing service, "B³ Spectrum," alongside Cisco QSFP28 100G ZR transceivers and Cisco NCS 540 routers.
Going forward, we will advance research to provide services tailored to customer usage patterns.

 

 

■Background
With the advent of 100G ZR adopting coherent technology, IPoDWDM (IP over DWDM) architecture (*1)—which enables long-distance transmission without the need for standalone transponders, resulting in lower latency and reduced power consumption—is expanding (Figure 1).
While coherent transceivers reached full-scale commercialization through the standardization of 400G-ZR (OIF) and 400G-ZR+ (OpenZR+), it is noteworthy that these benefits are not limited to the latest 400G environments. They can also be leveraged on existing routers equipped with widely deployed QSFP28 ports. This allows for a seamless transition of network environments while maximizing the use of existing assets.

 

 

(Figure 1) Transponder-based Configuration vs. IPoDWDM Configuration

 

(*1) Cisco refers to the architecture supporting this IPoDWDM configuration as "Routed Optical Networking (RON)." This solution simplifies and optimizes networks by converging IP and Optical layers. As shown in this use case, utilizing this technology reduces power consumption, minimizes installation footprint, and simplifies operations.

 

 

■Overview of the Verification
The verification utilized the Cisco QSFP28 100G ZR and the Cisco NCS 540 router (Cisco N540-ACC-SYS). A transmission environment spanning approximately 300km was constructed over a commercial network in Tokyo. Testing was conducted under conditions that simulated actual operations, including the presence of adjacent wavelengths.
Quality measurements included RFC2544 testing (Frame Loss/Latency) and long-term Bit Error Rate (BER) testing. Additionally, waveform analysis using a spectrum analyzer confirmed stable, high-quality transmission without interference from adjacent wavelengths.

 

 

(Figure 2) Cisco QSFP28 100G ZR

 

The QSFP28 100G ZR employs the latest Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) 5.2 and complies with Coherent CMIS. By utilizing ITU-T standard SC-FEC and DP-DQPSK modulation, 100G traffic can be transmitted directly from a router port as a single wavelength.
The maximum power consumption is extremely low at 5.5W, contributing to a significant reduction in electricity use and installation space compared to traditional transponder-based configurations. As a result, this setup achieved a transmission distance of up to 80km without optical amplifiers, and up to 300km in this verification when combined with optical amplifiers. This DCO (Digital Coherent Optics) module is tunable across the entire C-band.

 

 

(Figure 3) Cisco N540-ACC-SYS (Cisco NCS 540 Router)

 

The Cisco N540-ACC-SYS is a 1U aggregation access router designed for next-generation service providers. To handle the traffic surge from 5G and IoT, it features a compact, low-power design capable of operating in harsh temperature environments, powered by Cisco IOS XR for advanced automation.

 

 

■Future Outlook
BB Backbone will continue to promote user-first development, verification, and service delivery. By leveraging the cost advantages of "B³ Spectrum," the company aims to enable more customers to build efficient and cost-effective networks.

 

 

■About BB Backbone
Company Name: BB Backbone Corp.
Headquarters Address: 1-7-1 Kaigan, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Representative: Naoki Yamamoto, President, CEO, and CISO
URL: https://www.bbbackbone.co.jp/en_index/

 

 

■About Cisco
Company Name: Cisco Systems G.K.
Headquarters: Midtown Tower, 9-7-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Representative: Yoshiyuki Hamada, President and Executive Officer
URL: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/index.html

 

 

For any inquiries, please feel free to contact below.
BB Backbone Corp.
TEL: 03-6889-1255
Email: b3-sales-team@g.bbbackbone.co.jp