Sterlite Technologies Limited (STL) has announced a successful collaboration with Colt Technology Services (Colt) for Multi-Core Fibre (MCF) trials conducted across Colt’s London metro optical network. This initiative marks a significant step in validating MCF technology for next-generation networks supporting AI, cloud, and digital services. The trial involved deploying STL’s Multiverse™ 4-core Fibre within the London Metro network between two Colt Points of Presence (PoPs), covering distances of approximately 9 km and 63 km. An 800 Gbps line rate was achieved, with validation performed for 100GE and 400GE services. Comprehensive testing, including various optical measurements, yielded satisfactory results. STL's MCF technology packs four cores into the same cladding diameter as standard single-mode fibre, maintaining a coating size of 250/200 micrometres, thus enabling ultra-high transmission capacity per fibre within the same diameter. STL is among the first globally to transition MCF from lab environments to real-world applications. Buddy Bayer, Chief Operating Officer at Colt Technology Services, highlighted the importance of this pilot in meeting surging network capacity demands sustainably. Dr. Badri Gomatam, CTO at STL, emphasized that partnerships like these accelerate optical infrastructure evolution and that STL’s MCF portfolio is engineered to meet the high-density, ultra-low latency, and resilient connectivity demands of future digital ecosystems.
