One of the newer optical transceivers on the market is the SFP28 which supports the 25G rate. So the question is what it 25G all about? If you think about it with 10G and 40G interfaces already available, why introduce another rate?
The benefits of 25G
25G Ethernet was officially introduce in 2016 through IEEE 802.3by standard and uses a single-lane 25Gbps Ethernet link which makes provides a straightforward path to future evolution towards 50G and 100G. The SFP28 interface used to deliver 25G is physically the same as the SFP+ used for 10G which means that the SFP28 is backward compatible with the SFP+ and even the 1G SFP. By extension, this also translates to a lower cost per bit and also lower power requirement per bit given that the network bandwidth is increased by a factor of 2.5 compared to 10G while the power consumption is essentially the same and the cost is very comparable.
So in short, 25G offers faster network performance with significant cost benefits all while maintaining backward compatibility with 10G and offering an easy upgrade path to higher rates.
Key Driver #1: Data Center Upgrade
As demand for increased bandwidth in the data centers continues to grow, we have seen 100G deployments in the data centers grow exponentially over the last few years. In order to keep up, the upgrade of the 10G terminal devices to 25G is a logical step in the evolution of the data center topology in order to provide more bandwidth between the servers and the ToR (Top of Rack) switches.
With the introduction of the SFP28 supporting the 25G rate, the data center can easily boost overall capacity by a 2.5x factor with marginal cost increase. As such, SFP28 deployments in the data centers continues to fuel the demand for the 25G Ethernet rate.
Key Driver #2: 5G Front-haul
From a big picture perspective, 5G wireless networks consist of front-haul, middle-haul and back-haul sections each with different requirements in terms of bandwidth and optical transceivers. With the granularity of 5G front-haul networks being defined as 15Gbps, it goes without saying that 25G SFP28 interfaces represent the perfect fit for this application. As 5G network deployments accelerate globally, the demand for 25G is also expected to continue to grow.
GigOptics - Your Supplier for 25G SFP28
At Gigoptics, we offer a wide range of optical transceivers including 25G SFP28; all tested to ensure quality and reliability. For more information, contact us at info@gigoptics.com.