Nilay Patel

I always think about it as two internets, right? There's the internet we experience, the digital internet, and then there's the very physical internet, the actual cables and wires that connect our networks together, that connect us together. That is Ciena's business, right? Running these cables, figuring out how to move data across them more quickly, figuring out how to move more data across them.

I always think about it as two internets, right? There's the internet we experience, the digital internet, and then there's the very physical internet, the actual cables and wires that connect our networks together, that connect us together. That is Ciena's business, right? Running these cables, figuring out how to move data across them more quickly, figuring out how to move more data across them.

Ciena's been around for a minute. How is the dynamic between what people are doing on the digital internet most consumers experience and what you need to do on the physical internet change? Because it seems like something we don't ever really get to talk about. I'm very curious to ask you about it.

Ciena's been around for a minute. How is the dynamic between what people are doing on the digital internet most consumers experience and what you need to do on the physical internet change? Because it seems like something we don't ever really get to talk about. I'm very curious to ask you about it.

Ciena's been around for a minute. How is the dynamic between what people are doing on the digital internet most consumers experience and what you need to do on the physical internet change? Because it seems like something we don't ever really get to talk about. I'm very curious to ask you about it.

That's the part that I really want to dig into. I think sort of intellectually I've always understood that. I think most people understand that there are servers and data centers elsewhere and we are communicating with them somehow, invisibly, wirelessly, but at some point we need to hit a fiber line and actually talk to those servers.

That's the part that I really want to dig into. I think sort of intellectually I've always understood that. I think most people understand that there are servers and data centers elsewhere and we are communicating with them somehow, invisibly, wirelessly, but at some point we need to hit a fiber line and actually talk to those servers.

That's the part that I really want to dig into. I think sort of intellectually I've always understood that. I think most people understand that there are servers and data centers elsewhere and we are communicating with them somehow, invisibly, wirelessly, but at some point we need to hit a fiber line and actually talk to those servers.

I guess what I'm trying to understand is there's the consumer application layer of the internet. We're all going to watch a bunch of Instagram reels or something. And then there's the internet we need to build to support that. What's the relationship between those two?

I guess what I'm trying to understand is there's the consumer application layer of the internet. We're all going to watch a bunch of Instagram reels or something. And then there's the internet we need to build to support that. What's the relationship between those two?

I guess what I'm trying to understand is there's the consumer application layer of the internet. We're all going to watch a bunch of Instagram reels or something. And then there's the internet we need to build to support that. What's the relationship between those two?

How often do you think, okay, I see the next set of applications that are coming on phones or I see the next set of devices that people might want to use or I see the rise of streaming services. We had better start building an internet that can support it. Because that dynamic often seems subsumed in maybe some cell carrier conversations or maybe some data center conversations.

How often do you think, okay, I see the next set of applications that are coming on phones or I see the next set of devices that people might want to use or I see the rise of streaming services. We had better start building an internet that can support it. Because that dynamic often seems subsumed in maybe some cell carrier conversations or maybe some data center conversations.

How often do you think, okay, I see the next set of applications that are coming on phones or I see the next set of devices that people might want to use or I see the rise of streaming services. We had better start building an internet that can support it. Because that dynamic often seems subsumed in maybe some cell carrier conversations or maybe some data center conversations.

It very rarely, I think, comes to the forefront.

It very rarely, I think, comes to the forefront.

It very rarely, I think, comes to the forefront.

Let me ask about the networks. Let's say I want to build a network in some rural part of the country. Do I just call CNN and say, all right, we're going to get to work. Go dig some trenches. Do I run the network? Do you run the network? How does that work?

Let me ask about the networks. Let's say I want to build a network in some rural part of the country. Do I just call CNN and say, all right, we're going to get to work. Go dig some trenches. Do I run the network? Do you run the network? How does that work?

Let me ask about the networks. Let's say I want to build a network in some rural part of the country. Do I just call CNN and say, all right, we're going to get to work. Go dig some trenches. Do I run the network? Do you run the network? How does that work?