Achieving high capacity and low cost for the 400GbE is critical for network operators, chipmakers, optical vendors, router and switch vendors, and many other members of the optical ecosystem. Notably, one of the reasons for the successful rollout of the 400GbE was the convergence of rate and PMD among IEEE, OIF, and multi-source protocol (MSA) members. Unfortunately, the industry initially had two pluggable packaging models, leading to redevelopment and manufacturing. This duplication may reduce the market's ability to extend common solutions.
The launch of the 400GbE starts in 2019 and will climb rapidly. The debate over the form of optical module packaging is largely over, and whether the system vendor has chosen qsfp-dd or both, the focus has now shifted to future speeds. In the long run, the 400GbE will mainly choose qsfp-dd. As the industry continues to integrate qsfp-dd, economies of scale will emerge and the 400GbE will reach its full potential.
