Lightwave articles from December 2006

Lightwave archives from December 2006

CMOS photonics is here.(complementary metal oxide semiconductors improvements)
December 1, 2006... On rare occasions a new technology emerges that has a profound impact on how we communicate and build communication networks. In some cases the new technology offers incremental improvement and does not require significant changes to network...

10G form factors: too much just enough?(gigabit ethernet for carrier networks)
December 1, 2006... If you listen to transceiver vendors, the emerging SFP+ multisource agreement (MSA) could revolutionize 10-Gbit/sec interfaces (see "SFP+ Transceivers Emerge as Key 10GbE Trend" on page 23). The module sector hasn't witnessed this kind of...

What's holding up 40G?(40-Gbit/sec transmission now is technologically feasible)
December 1, 2006... Despite physical impairments that scale exponentially with bit rate, 40-Gbit/sec transmission now is technologically feasible thanks to advanced modulation schemes and other developments, say industry insiders. The hurdle to widespread...

Nine system, optical module, semiconductor, and connector companies have formed the X40 Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) Group (www.x40msa.org).(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Nine system, optical module, semiconductor, and connector companies have formed the X40 Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) Group (www.x40msa.org), a collaboration to develop a new, integrated, data-agnostic, multirate optical transceiver intended to...

Level 3 Communications (www.level3.com) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Broadwing Corp., a publicly herd provider of optical network communications services.(north america)
December 1, 2006... Level 3 Communications (www.level3.com) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Broadwing Corp., a publicly herd provider of optical network communications services. Per the agreement, Level 3 will pay $8.18 in cash plus 1.3411 shares of...

American Fiber Systems Inc. (www.afsnetworks.com) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire competitive metro network provider IDACOMM.(north america)
December 1, 2006... American Fiber Systems Inc. (www.afsnetworks.com) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire competitive metro network provider IDACOMM. IDACOMM's fiber-rich network includes more than 45,000 local and regional long-haul fiber-strand miles...

Turin Networks (www.turinnetworks.com) has acquired the product portfolio and the majority of the material assets of White Rock Networks, provider of next-generation optical transport products for metro networks.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Turin Networks (www.turinnetworks.com) has acquired the product portfolio and the majority of the material assets of White Rock Networks, provider of next-generation optical transport products for metro networks. According to Turin Networks,...

Zarlink Semiconductor (www.zarlink.com) has sold the assets of its packet switching product line to Conexant Systems Inc. (www.conexant.com) for cash and other consideration, including a cash payment at closing of $5 million and additional amounts based on revenue performance of the product line over the next 2 years.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Zarlink Semiconductor (www.zarlink.com) has sold the assets of its packet switching product line to Conexant Systems Inc. (www.conexant.com) for cash and other consideration, including a cash payment at closing of $5 million and additional...

Tektronix Inc. (www.tektronix.com) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Minacom, provider of active probe test equipment used by telecom carriers, cable multiple-system operators (MSOs), and wireless and voice-over-IP providers worldwide, for approximately $27 million.(north america)
December 1, 2006... Tektronix Inc. (www.tektronix.com) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Minacom, provider of active probe test equipment used by telecom carriers, cable multiple-system operators (MSOs), and wireless and voice-over-IP providers...

Alcatel.(contracts with University of Pittsburgh Medical Center for upgrading communications infrastructure)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Alcatel (www.alcatel.com) has signed a multiyear, $300 million agreement to upgrade the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's (UPMC) communications infrastructure. The IP network transformation project, which will commence at the beginning...

Maine-based telecommunications provider Tidewater Telecom (www.tidewater.net) has purchased several of Siemens (www.siemens.com/networks) SURPASS hiD 6650 Carrier Ethernet platforms.(north america)
December 1, 2006... Maine-based telecommunications provider Tidewater Telecom (www.tidewater.net) has purchased several of Siemens' (www.siemens.com/networks) SURPASS hiD 6650 Carrier Ethernet platforms, utilizing a 10-Gigabit Ethernet ring to provide voice and...

Wave7 Optics.(get contract from city councils of Auburn, Indiana)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... The City of Auburn, IN, has selected Wave7 Optics' (www.wave7optics.com) Trident7 Optical Access Platform for a new municipal FTTP network. Construction will begin this month, with first priority given to connecting the school system. The...

Home Telephone Co. of Berkeley County, SC (www.hometelco.com), has deployed the Fiber Service Platform (FSP) 3000RE optical add/drop multiplexer (OADM) from ADVA Optical Networking (www.advaoptical.com).(north america)
December 1, 2006... Home Telephone Co. of Berkeley County, SC (www.hometelco.com), has deployed the Fiber Service Platform (FSP) 3000RE optical add/drop multiplexer (OADM) from ADVA Optical Networking (www.advaoptical.com). In July, ADVA acquired Movaz Networks...

Tyco Telecommunications (www.tycotelecom.com) has signed a contract with Houston-based BP America Inc. (www.bp.com) to supply an undersea fiber-optic system serving offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.(north america)
December 1, 2006... Tyco Telecommunications (www.tycotelecom.com) has signed a contract with Houston-based BP America Inc. (www.bp.com) to supply an undersea fiber-optic system serving offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. The system will comprise the undersea...

Pannaway Technologies Inc.(has closed an additional funding round of $10 million)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Pannaway Technologies Inc. (www.pannaway.com), designers and developers of next-generation, converged IP broadband systems to telecommunications companies, has closed an additional funding round of $10 million with participation from more than...

Discovery Semiconductors.(has provided multimode photodiodes to the Technical University of Berlin)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Discovery Semiconductors (www.chipsat.com) has provided 25-GHz multimode photodiodes to the Technical University of Berlin for its research on directly modulated 980-nm lasers. The university recently reported the development of directly...

Alloptic.(latin america)
December 1, 2006... El Tamarindo Resort and Spa has deployed Alloptic's (www.alloptic.com) GEPON system to provide voice, data, video, building automation, and security services throughout the resort. The contract is Alloptic's first in Mexico.

Central American service provider Navega (www.navega.com) has selected Tellabs (www.tellabs.com) to expand the capacity of its transport network.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Central American service provider Navega (www.navega.com) has selected Tellabs (www.tellabs.com) to expand the capacity of its transport network. The Tellabs 6300 Managed Transport and Tellabs 8100 Managed Access systems will enable Navega to...

Interoute (www.interoute.com), owner of Europe's most advanced next-generation voice and data network, will deploy new optical equipment across its pan-European footprint designed to cut service delivery times for high-capacity bandwidth.(Interoute Telecommunications (UK) Ltd.)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Interoute (www.interoute.com), owner of Europe's most advanced next-generation voice and data network, will deploy new optical equipment across its pan-European footprint designed to cut service delivery times for high-capacity bandwidth....

JDSU (www.jdsu.com) has acquired the technology and patent portfolio of Metconnex Canada Inc., developer of wavelength-selective switch modules.(JDS Uniphase)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... JDSU (www.jdsu.com) has acquired the technology and patent portfolio of Metconnex Canada Inc. developer of wavelength-selective switch modules. JDSU did not acquire any of Metconnex's business operations. Per the agreement, JDSU will acquire...

JSC Comstar-United TeleSystems (www.comstar-uts.ru/), a provider of integrated telecommunications services in Russia and the CIS, has acquired a 100% stake in two telecom operators in Kiev, Ukraine--DG Tel and Technologic Systems--through its local subsidiary, Comstar-Ukraine, for a total cash consideration of $4.7 million.(europe)
December 1, 2006... JSC Comstar-United TeleSystems (www.comstar-uts.ru/), a provider of integrated telecommunications services in Russia and the CIS, has acquired a 100% stake in two telecom operators in Kiev, Ukraine--DG Tel and Technologic Systems--through its...

China Telecom announced the results of its extensive interoperability testing at the recent China Lightwave FTTH conference.(fiber to the home)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... China Telecom announced the results of its extensive interoperability testing at the recent China Lightwave FTTH conference. Teknovus's (www.teknovus.com) TK3715 EPON ONU chipset passed or exceeded all testing parameters, incorporating China...

Optical Communication Products Inc. (OCP--www.ocp-inc.com) has reached an agreement with SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of TDK Corp., which will enable the company to manufacture certain product lines in China beginning in the summer of 2007.
December 1, 2006... Optical Communication Products Inc. (OCP--www.ocp-inc.com) has reached an agreement with SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of TDK Corp., which will enable the company to manufacture certain product lines in China beginning in...

Siemens (www.siemens.com) and Juniper Networks Inc. (www.juniper.net) say that Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (SingTel) has deployed Juniper Networks' SDX Service Deployment System and E-series Broadband Services Routers to support the introduction of new premium IP services, including a new bandwidth-on-demand service.(asia)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Siemens (www.siemens.com) and Juniper Networks Inc. (www.juniper.net) say that Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (SingTel) has deployed Juniper Networks' SDX Service Deployment System and E-series Broadband Services Routers to support the...

Juniper Networks.(contracts with China Education and Research Network)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... The China Education and Research Network Information Center (CERNIC) has deployed Juniper Networks' T-series core routing platform in its next-generation China Education and Research Network (CERNET2). CERNET2 is one of the world's largest,...

NEC Corp.(has completed telecommunications and broadcasting project in Uzbekistan)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... NEC Corp. (www.nec.com) has completed the second phase of a [yen] 10 billion telecommunications and broadcasting project to improve and expand the countrywide network in Uzbekistan. In the second phase, the network was extended to neighboring...

Australian incumbent Telstra (www.telstra.com) has tapped Ericsson (www.ericsson.com) to help evolve its inter-capital, regional, and rural transport networks.(australia)
December 1, 2006... Australian incumbent Telstra (www.telstra.com) has tapped Ericsson (www.ericsson.com) to help evolve its inter-capital, regional, and rural transport networks. The 3-year project, valued at more than $230 million, will expand the capacity of...

Contractual obligations.(Editorial)(Editorial)
December 1, 2006... I've resisted writing a "let's look back/let's look ahead" editorial for the last few Decembers; they've always seemed a bit of a cliche. However, a very official-looking letter arrived by raven the other day (owls having priced themselves out...

Research indicates next steps for 40 Gbits/sec.
December 1, 2006... Optical communication equipment with 40-Gbit/sec interfaces became available for commercial networks in 2004. Deployment of these systems has followed, with many equipment providers looking to provide follow-on generations of interfaces. ...

For Metro Ethernet Forum, testing is critical.
December 1, 2006... Like most industry organizations, the Metro Ethernet Forum (www.metroethernetforum.org) was established to educate the industry on the benefits of its technology--in this case, Carrier Ethernet--and accelerate its adoption worldwide. But unlike...

Ethernet standards evolve to meet high-bandwidth networking needs.
December 1, 2006... The October 2005 Standards Watch column ("MMF Standards Satisfy High-speed Networks," Lightwave, page 18) summarized the evolution of multimode fiber standards to support high-bandwidth networking needs. This article focuses on a key...

MTP connector kit.
December 1, 2006... Using the new MTP (MPO-style) connector, compatible with round, stranded cable, has benefits compared to rectangular ribbon cable terminations without sacrificing high density, such as eliminating preferential bends, better aramid yarn...

Bend-insensitive assemblies.
December 1, 2006... Tera Flow bend-insensitive assemblies are less susceptible to bend-induced losses in the C-band (1,530 to 1,565 nm) and L-band (1,565 to 1,625 nm). They will operate with a bend radius as small as 0.6 inches (15 mm); for comparison, the minimum...

Integrable tunable laser assembly.
December 1, 2006... The MSA-compliant S3600 integrable tunable laser assembly (ITLA) comes in a compact, standardized form factor designed for incorporation into a 300-pin transponder or DWDM line card. The S3600 in- cludes additional features such as SBS...

Zarlink inaugurates new parallel optical transceiver form factor.(Zarlink Semiconductor Inc.)
December 1, 2006... Zarlink Semiconductor (www.zarlink.com) used last month's Supercomputing 06 show to unveil the first quad small-form-factor pluggable (QSFP) parallel optical module. Based on an emerging multisource agreement (MSA) that should see Version 1.0...

Low-power post-amplifier.
December 1, 2006... A 3.2-Gbit/sec CML limiting post-amplifier, the SY88343DL is designed for use in fiber-optic receivers. The IC features high-gain TTL loss-of-signal detection for applications such as passive optical networks; Gigabit Ethernet; 1X and 2X Fibre...

Electro-optic modulators and switches.
December 1, 2006... A new generation of electro-optic (EO) modulators uses EO polymers as active rectangular waveguides, replacing single-crystal LiNb[O.sub.3]. Optical fibers in the modulator are modified by replacing a small area of passive cladding with an...

Fiber distribution hub.(INSTALLATION)
December 1, 2006... The ORBITAL 576 fiber distribution hub (FDH) is a new addition to the Access ADVANTAGE System. The FDH can be installed using quick-to-provision modular splitters and factory-installed connectorized cables, and is easily scalable to...

Fiber-optic cleaning kit.
December 1, 2006... Several levels of fiber-optic cleaning kits are available, ranging from the economy level for occasional connector cleaning and maintenance, to a complete kit for frequent cleaning of multiple connector and/or fiber types. The economy kit...

Single-fiber and ribbon splicers.
December 1, 2006... The OptiSplice Ribbon Splicer is a handheld 1-to-12-fiber fusion splicer designed specifically for next-generation FTTX applications. The splicer provides improved speed and performance when compared to previous generation multifiber splices,...

Carrier Ethernet validation on test platform.(TEST EQUIPMENT)
December 1, 2006... The N2X test platform now incorporates Net-O2's ATTEST Layer 2 conformance test technology, which combines ATTEST protocol test cases with the N2X conformance test manager. The Layer 2 conformance test suites offer a validation tool comprising...

Enhanced modules and software for OTDR.(TEST EQUIPMENT)
December 1, 2006... New test modules and software are available on the OptiFiber Certifying OTDR. Users can now test longer fiber links in campus networks, as well as very short patch cords in data centers. The OTDR's extended-range singlemode module offers a...

Multifunction test platform.
December 1, 2006... The multifunction optical test platform (MOTP) allows users to quickly and easily implement custom test setup for manufacturing, prototype, lab, and R&D optical tests. In addition to its internal built-in functions to control the tunable laser...

Multiplexing test instrument.
December 1, 2006... NIC platform instruments can now be equipped with ODU-1 to ODU-2 multiplexing capability. The new test option enables NIC products to multiplex/demultiplex four ODU-1 signals within ODU-2 on an Optical Channel Transport Unit (OTU)-2 interface....

SFP+ transceivers emerge as key 10GbE trend.(10-Gigabit Ethernet optical interfaces)
December 1, 2006... Great strides have been made over the past few years to bring 10-Gigabit Ethernet optical interfaces to market, and the technology has progressed remarkably in a few short years from lab demonstrations to widespread commercial shipments. At the...

4Wave mixes with contract manufacturer.(4Wave Inc. partnership with Avo Photonics)
December 1, 2006... After 6 years as a supplier of manufacturing equipment for hard disk drive heads, 4Wave Inc. (www.4waveinc.com) succumbed to the temptation to use its expertise to make its own components--specifically, optical components. The move from hard...

Carrier Ethernet shows progress at CEWC 2006.(Carrier Ethernet World Congress)
December 1, 2006... The Carrier Ethernet World Congress (CEWC)--the official annual event of the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) that is organized by IIR--attracted more than 450 industry senior professionals to Madrid this past October. It's still early days for...

Yankee Group: wireline capex on the rise worldwide.(telecommunications industry capital expenditures)
December 1, 2006... Tier 1 carriers around the world have raised their capex levels, according to the Yankee Group. In its recent report, "New Opportunities for Vendors Emerge as Global Capex Rebounds," the research and consultancy company says that wireline capex...

Alcatel, Huawei, Nortel top 3Q06 networking market.(optical networking equipment)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Ovum-RHK recently announced its preliminary analysis of 3Q06 results for optical networking equipment vendors. Revenues were $3.1 billion, up 13% versus 3Q05 and up 5% versus 2Q06, say analysts. The report provides highlights of the top 10...

Ethernet to displace SONET/SDH in access networks.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... An Infonetics Research study of 25 top-tier service providers in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific confirms that Ethernet continues to go mainstream and will eventually dominate the metro space, as SONET/SDH slowly but surely declines...

Fiber-optic connector, splice market on the rise.(MARKET WATCH)
December 1, 2006... Global fiber-optic connector and mechanical splice consumption last year reached $1.2 billion and is expected to increase to $3.7 billion by 2010, reveals a new report from Electronicast Consultants. "The global connector/mechanical splice...