The mode, loss, and dispersion characteristics of a buried strip waveguide have been calculated for coarse wavelength division multiplexing wavelengths. Process simulation has been used to form the graded-index core by germanium implantation in silicon. Quasivectorial finite-difference method has been used to calculate the number of propagating modes, effective indices, material absorption, mode confinement, and the dispersion parameters. The scattering loss has been determined from the Payne–Lacey model. The zero dispersion for higher-order modes occurs in the O-band, which is suitable for short-reach multimodal applications. The usable waveguide length and number of modes have been characterized and are limited by the mode with highest propagation loss/dispersion and lowest mode confinement, respectively.