Lightwave articles from February 2003

Lightwave archives from February 2003

Fiber-to-home proponents speak out against negative deployment myths. (Trends).
February 1, 2003... Many early fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) forecasts, like other sectors of the fiber-optic industry, were predicated on easy financing and readily available and affordable products. Despite some very optimistic forecasting, the number of FTTH...

European financiers debate telecommunications funding. (Finance).
February 1, 2003... Despite the worst times that anyone in the telecommunications sector can remember, December's Financial Times World Telecoms Conference in London drew the same number of delegates as the previous year's event. A key question that speakers and...

EDWAs enable tomorrow's optical modules and subsystems. (Technology).(erbium-doped waveguide arrays )
February 1, 2003... The promise of erbium-doped waveguide arrays (EDWAs) as a lower-power alternative to erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs) is resonating with many optical module and subsystem manufacturers. For the metro and enterprise spaces, in particular,...

Ask Bruno.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... FIS TRAINING SPECIALIST Q I've been told that polishing ceramic ferrules on glass is improper technique. Why? A Only stainless steel ferrules should be polished on glass. Stainless steel ferrules have flat ends that match the flat...

Optical Regional Advanced Network of Ontario (ORANO) and Bell Canada have announced a $25-million contract to deliver optical fiber and equipment for the Ontario Research and Innovation Optical Network. (Hot off the Press).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Optical Regional Advanced Network of Ontario (ORANO) and Bell Canada have announced a $25-million contract to deliver optical fiber and equipment for the Ontario Research and Innovation Optical Network (ORION), which spans 3,700 km and will...

SBC Communications (San Antonio, TX) has selected Cisco Systems' (San Jose, CA) 12000 Series router to build-out a national 10-Gbit/sec OC-192 network to transport internet-based services. (Industry Update: North America).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... SBC Communications (San Antonio, TX) has selected Cisco Systems' (San Jose, CA) 12000 Series router to build-out a national 10-Gbit/sec OC-192 network to transport internet-based services such as Dedicated Internet Access, SBC-Yahoo! DSL, and...

Sprint (Overland Park, KS) has signed purchase orders with AGL Networks. (Industry Update: North America).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Sprint (Overland Park, KS) has signed purchase orders with AGL Networks, a wholly owned subsidiary of AGL Resources (Atlanta), for metro/access infrastructure in Atlanta. The multiyear contract will provide Sprint with connectivity to several...

OpTun (Menlo Park, CA) and Infineon Technologies AG (Munich) have signed a definitive agreement. (Industry Update: North America).(OpTun to handle WDM research and development)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Startup OpTun (Menlo Park, CA) and Infineon Technologies AG (Munich) have signed a definitive agreement whereby Infineon will spin off its fiber-optic passive WDM research and development in the WDM optical-component arena and merge these...

Bell West (Calgary, Alberta) has selected Nortel Networks (Ottawa, Ontario) as the exclusive supplier for Alberta Super-Net's Base Area 2,500-km regional backbone. (Industry Update: North America).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Bell West (Calgary, Alberta) has selected Nortel Networks (Ottawa, Ontario) as the exclusive supplier for Alberta Super-Net's Base Area 2,500-km regional backbone, linking the province's 27 largest communities. Bell West is deploying Nortel's...

CloudShield Technologies (Sunnyvale, CA) has incorporated micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS)-based optical-switching modules from OMM. (Industry Update: North America).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... CloudShield Technologies (Sunnyvale, CA) has incorporated micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS)-based optical-switching modules from OMM (San Diego) into its CC-200 system for homeland defense initiatives, enabling governmental agencies,...

AltaLink, an electricity transmission company in Alberta, Canada, will deploy Alcatel's (Paris) 3600 MainStreet Multiservice Bandwidth Manager and Alcatel 7470 Multiservice Platform. (Industry Update: North America).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... AltaLink, an electricity transmission company in Alberta, Canada, will deploy Alcatel's (Paris) 3600 MainStreet Multiservice Bandwidth Manager and Alcatel 7470 Multiservice Platform to provide automatic protection of transmission lines and...

VocalData. (Industry Update: North America).(announces product compatibility with Wave7 Optics )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... VocalData (Richardson, TX), provider of integrated voice and managed network applications for IP telephony systems, and Wave7 Optics (Alpharetta, GA), developer of optical access equipment for the fiber-to-the-home and -business markets, have...

OFS (Atlanta) has signed a license agreement with BTexact Technologies. (Industry Update: North America).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... OFS (Atlanta) has signed a license agreement with BTexact Technologies (Suffolk, UK), the advanced research and technology business of British Telecommunications plc (BT), allowing the company to use BT's blown fiber technology and know-how....

Western New Mexico Telephone (Silver City, NM) has deployed the Metro-Optix (Allen, TX) CityStream 5000 next-generation multiservice provisioning platform in its network. (Industry Update: North America).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Western New Mexico Telephone (Silver City, NM) has deployed the Metro-Optix (Allen, TX) CityStream 5000 next-generation multiservice provisioning platform in its network. The telephone company is utilizing Metro-Optix's bandwidth manager as a...

Range Telephone Cooperative (Forsyth, MT) has selected Fujitsu Network Communications' (Richardson, TX) FLASHWAVE 4300 and FLASHWAVE 4500 optical transport platforms. (Industry Update: North America).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Range Telephone Cooperative (Forsyth, MT) has selected Fujitsu Network Communications' (Richardson, TX) FLASHWAVE 4300 and FLASHWAVE 4500 optical transport platforms and the FLEXR GT craft interface software to connect and manage its...

Broadwing. (Industry Update: North America).(receives funding from Goldman Sachs)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Broadwing (Cincinnati) has signed an agreement with investment funds managed by Goldman, Sachs & Co. to provide $200 million in financing to Broadwing in the form of senior subordinated discount notes due in 2009. The financing will be used to...

Level(3) Communications (Broomfield, CO) and Genuity (Woburn, MA) have signed a definitive agreement. (Industry Update: North America).(Level 3 acquires Genuity)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Level(3) Communications (Broomfield, CO) and Genuity (Woburn, MA) have signed a definitive agreement whereby Level(3) will pay up to $242 million in cash and assume a significant portion of existing long-term operating agreements to acquire...

Meriton Networks. (Industry Update: North America).(receives funding)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Meriton Networks (Ottawa, Ontario), developer of carrier class wavelength networking equipment, has secured additional funding of $17 million in equity and debt led by VenGrowth Capital Partners. Existing investors Desjardins Venture Capital...

Alfalight. (Industry Update: North America).(receives financing)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Laser-diode manufacturer Alfalight (Madison, WI) has closed a $15-million venture funding round led by Arch Venture Partners. The funds will be used to continue growth in its Madison facility, enhance its product offerings, and expand sales and...

Optical Solutions. (Industry Update: North America).(receives financing)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Optical Solutions (Minneapolis), provider of fiber-optic communications systems for the local access market, has capped its series F funding with a new investment from Intel Capital. Optical Solutions raised a total of $24 million n the round.

Agility Communications (Santa Barbara, CA), Alcatel Optronics (Paris), and Bookham Technology plc. (Oxfordshire, UK) have announced a major multisource agreement. (Industry Update: Europe).(tunable laser sources)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Agility Communications (Santa Barbara, CA), Alcatel Optronics (Paris), and Bookham Technology plc. (Oxfordshire, UK) have announced a major multisource agreement (MSA) for tunable-laser sources that defines a small-form-factor plug-in...

Telecommunications operator Belgacom (Groot-Bijgaarden, Belgium) has signed a contract with Lucent Technologies. (Industry Update: Europe).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Telecommunications operator Belgacom (Groot-Bijgaarden, Belgium) has signed a contract with Lucent Technologies (Murray Hill, NJ) to implement Lucent's Metropolis Enhanced Optical Network rings onto the existing Belgacom network in London,...

Opto Speed (Ruschlikon, Switzerland) and Infomax Optical Technology (Taoyuan, Taiwan) will collaborate on the engineering, manufacturing, and sales of their optoelectronic-product portfolios. (Industry Update: Europe).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Opto Speed (Ruschlikon, Switzerland) and Infomax Optical Technology (Taoyuan, Taiwan) will collaborate on the engineering, manufacturing, and sales of their optoelectronic-product portfolios. Per the agreement, Opto Speed will provide its...

Alcatel Optronics (Paris), Hitachi Cables (Tokyo), and NTT Electronics (NEL-- Tokyo) have announced a multisource agreement (MSA) for thermally stabilized arrayed-waveguide-grating (AWG) modules. (Industry Update: Asia).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Alcatel Optronics (Paris), Hitachi Cables (Tokyo), and NTT Electronics (NEL-- Tokyo) have announced a multisource agreement (MSA) for thermally stabilized arrayed-waveguide-grating (AWG) modules to provide multiplexing and demultiplexing...

China Telecommunications (China Telecom--Beijing) is building its high-density, service-enabled IP/MPLS network using Juniper Networks' (Sunnyvale, CA) T320 and M20 routers. (Industry Update: Asia).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... China Telecommunications (China Telecom--Beijing) is building its high-density, service-enabled IP/MPLS network using Juniper Networks' (Sunnyvale, CA) T320 and M20 routers. The deployment of T-series routers complements the successful...

Japanese network systems integrator VIC TOKAI has selected Movaz Networks (Atlanta) as the exclusive supplier for the expansion of its existing optical-network infrastructure between Tokyo and Nagoya. (Industry Update: Asia).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Japanese network systems integrator VIC TOKAI has selected Movaz Networks (Atlanta) as the exclusive supplier for the expansion of its existing optical-network infrastructure between Tokyo and Nagoya. The contract was established through a...

Ciena. (Industry Update: Asia).(opens office in Beijing)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Ciena (Linthicum, MD) has opened a mainland China representative office in Beijing, currently staffed with sales, systems engineers, and program management employees. The announcement comes two years after the launch of the company's...

FLAG Telecom Group (Hamilton, Bermuda) has completed the installation of a new virtual point of presence (VPoP) in Karachi, Pakistan. (Industry Update: Asia).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... FLAG Telecom Group (Hamilton, Bermuda) has completed the installation of a new virtual point of presence (VPoP) in Karachi, Pakistan. The VPoP is now fully operational and will be managed and operated locally by Pakistan Telecommunication Co....

Modulight (Tampere, Finland) and High-Tech Corp. (Tokyo) have signed a distribution agreement designed to sell and promote Modulight's products in the Japanese market. (Industry Update: Asia).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Modulight (Tampere, Finland) and High-Tech Corp. (Tokyo) have signed a distribution agreement designed to sell and promote Modulight's products in the Japanese market. The companies will provide product solutions that cover the processing of...

Counties Power, a leading New Zealand electricity distributor, has selected equipment from World Wide Packets (Spokane, WA) for deployment in a new broadband service delivery network. (Industry Update: Africa Middle East Australia).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Counties Power, a leading New Zealand electricity distributor, has selected equipment from World Wide Packets (Spokane, WA) for deployment in a new broadband service delivery network. The World Wide Packets solution will enable delivery of...

XLight Photonics (Tel-Aviv, Israel) and Santur (Fremont, CA) have announced they signed an agreement for the supply and use of Santur's tunable lasers in XLight's products. (Industry Update: Africa, Middle East Australia).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... XLight Photonics (Tel-Aviv, Israel) and Santur (Fremont, CA) have announced they signed an agreement for the supply and use of Santur's tunable lasers in XLight's products. Santur will supply XLight with its distributed-feedback array-based...

Stealth or atrophy? (Editorial).(few new products under development)(Editorial)
February 1, 2003... I received a phone call last month from a marketing person at a well-established optical module and cabling developer regarding the timing of a new-product announcement the company hopes to make at the upcoming OFC show. She was concerned that...

Goodbye Fritz, goodbye Trent, hello Frist. (Regulation & Policy).
February 1, 2003... Senator Eugene Fritz Hollings (D-SC) is no longer chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee--bad news for the few remaining competitors of incumbent telephone companies. During his tenure, Hollings steadfastly resisted the incumbents' campaign...

2003 promises higher component revenues. (Analyst Corner).
February 1, 2003... We all know the bad news from 2002, an absolutely brutal year for optical-component vendors. With product shipments at less than one-fifth their level in 2000, it was no wonder that industry giants like Agere Systems and Nortel Networks' High...

IEC addresses dispersion slope compensating fiber. (Standards Watch).(International Electrotechnical Commission)
February 1, 2003... At 10-Gbit/sec transmission rates and beyond, most optical transmission systems require dispersion compensation to offset the cumulative chromatic dispersion of the transmission fiber. This compensation may consist of...

10-Gbit/sec Ethernet XAUI transceiver: sophisticated and ultra-low-cost transceiver with SDH-like performance, reliability, and link extension for carrier class smart public Ethernet service. (Advertisement).
February 1, 2003... Physical media-dependent devices: Chips from SDH field-proven Uncooled distributed-feedback (DFB) lasers at a wavelength of 1.3 [micro]m are key devices for 10-Gbit/sec Ethernet applications up to a 10-km-plus transmission distance. The...

Automating testing APS on network switches. (Online).(Automatic protection switching)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Automatic protection switching (APS) is a must-have for next-generation network providers responsible for the critical customer data traveling on their network. Switch vendors are spending millions to develop applications to add APS...

Quick Vote.(Survey: how important is the Asian market in 2003?)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... QUICK VOTE We asked visitors to Lightwave Online the following question: "How important will the Asian market be in your company's plans for 2003?" Percentage of respondents * More important than ever 67% Less...

China Forum 2003.
February 1, 2003... A new corporate event presented by: LIGHTWAVE and PennWell Corporation in alliance with the Optical Society of America What is the focus of the forum? The China Forum 2003: Doing Business in China is designed to educate attendees about...

Establishing a strategic optical-network T&M plan: the proper test and measurement plan encompasses all phases of a network's lifecycle. (Special Reports: Test & Measurement).
February 1, 2003... With the telecommunications industry slowdown, network providers are searching for ways to address increasing bandwidth demand, reductions in revenue and staff, and quality of service (QoS) expectations. Part of the solution is to form a...

Component companies ready for new measures: uncertainty in the passive-optical-component market is creating a need for measurement flexibility. (Special Reports: Test & Measurement).
February 1, 2003... As the market downturn continues, excess inventories and reduced sales volumes have caused turmoil in the optical-component industry. Uncertainty about the types of passive devices that will lead the market recovery and win out long term is...

Dispersion testing using a femtosecond PMD analyzer. (Special Report: Test & Measurement).
February 1, 2003... An integrated testing platform reduces the time needed for training and testing and allows technicians to concentrate on the technology behind the test. Optical fiber is probably the oldest and most commonly used broadband passive...

Meeting demand for 10 Gbits in the corporate data center. (Technology & Profits: Sorting Through Small-form-Factor Transceivers).
February 1, 2003... Short-reach data-center applications will require smaller, lower-cost optical transceivers that consume less power. Corporate data centers today support multiple 100Mbit/sec desktop connections by interconnecting the traffic over gigabit...

10GBase-LR optical transponder. (Systems & Subsystems).(Molex XLink 10GBase-LR)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The XLink 10GBase-LR optical transponder is part of the XPAK form-factor system that also includes a guide system and 70-pin XAUI host connector. Designed to the IEEE 802.3ae l0GBase-LR polarization-mode dispersion standard, the transponder is...

EDFA manufacturers look to the metro. (Tech Trends).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... When asked to comment on the level of activity in the optical-amplifier space, one industry insider paused, then replied, "Well, I could say, 'There's not much,' and we could both hang up and that would be a very good overview of the market."...

Alcatel improves IP core router. (Systems).(Alcatel 7770 Optical Broadband Exchange)
February 1, 2003... Last April, Alcatel (Paris) introduced a nonstop IP routing technology. The Alcatel Carrier Environment Internet System (ACEIS) was designed to overcome the limitations of current-generation IP routers--its 7770 Routing Core Platform (RCP)...

Long-reach multirate transponder. (Systems & Subsystems).(JDS Uniphase OTPDR5101-LR)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The OTPDR5101-LR 10-Gbit/sec long-reach multirate transponder is suited for metro applications for links up to 100 km and qualified for operation over an extended temperature range of [0[degrees]-70[degrees]C, reducing the need for temperature...

Widely tunable 300-pin transponder. (Systems & Subsystems).(XLight Photonics XL-UFTT10G)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The XL-UFTT10G widely tunable 10-Gbit/sec 300-pin multisource-agreement transponder can tune over the entire C-band with 50-GHz wavelength spacing and provide sparing and inventory reduction. Designed for metro and long-haul DWDM applications,...

80-[mu]m erbium-doped fibers. (Components).(OFS Specialty Photonics)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The R37003 and MP980 80-[mu]m erbium-doped fibers are suited for compact amplifier designs operating in the C- and L-bands in metro applications, offering higher efficiency and reliability, lower noise figure, and tight bend radii. The 80-[mu]m...

High-end APD receiver. (Components).(Multiplex RP192)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Based on a platform using planar technology the RP192 avalanche photodiode (APD) receiver provides excellent sensitivity of typically -26 dBm at a bit-error rate of [10.sub.-12] and bandwidth better than 8 GHz. Packaging is a small-form...

10.709-Gbit FEC jitter option. (Test Equipment).(Anritsu MP1777A)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The 10.709 forward error correction (FEC) jitter option to the company's MP1777A jitter analyzer enables jitter evaluation such as jitter tolerance, jitter transfer, and output jitter of devices under test, including encoders, decoders, optical...

Integrated tap/VOA. (Test Equipment).(Oluma Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The TVOA variable optical attenuator with integrated tap and photodiode for power monitoring allows reduced fiber handling and splicing for high-density network applications. It is available in normally open and normally closed configurations...

Cable-in-duct, on single reel. (Installation).(Draka Comteq)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The cable-in-duct manufacturing capability produces and places jacketed fiber-optic cables inside a duct on a single reel; installation time can be cut significantly since the result is pulling one cable instead of two. It is mainly used in...

Onsite video inspector. (Design & Manufacturing).(Moritex PalmScope tester with video microscope)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The PalmScope system with video microscope inspects the ends of fiber connectors in-situ, providing flexible image capture, video recording, and storage capabilities for onsite micro-inspection and quality control. Seven front-panel buttons...

Manufacturer Communications Directory: Fiber-optic.(Directory)
February 1, 2003... ABLESTIK 20021 Susana Road Rancho Dominguez, CA 90221 PH: 310-764-4600 FX: 310-764-2545 EMAIL: jilla.senkbeil@ablestik.com WEB: www.ablestik.com Ablestik offers the most complete line of adhesives for fiber optic...

Web-directory: Fiber-optic industry.(Brief Article)(Directory)
February 1, 2003... Ablestik Building a Better Bond www.ablestik.com O-Net Communications Ltd. O-net offers a variety of passive, active, integrated optical and crystal components as well as sub-systems. www.o-netcom.com PD-LD, Inc. ...

Native names Hadar chief executive. (People).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Rami Hadar is the new chief executive of Native Networks, maker of metro Ethernet products for the optical access network. "In the current climate, carriers must find creative ways to generate top line growth by delivering advanced Ethernet...

William Dungan has been named corporate vice president of sales and marketing at Draka USA, manufacturers of fiber-optic and copper cable products. (People).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... William Dungan has been named corporate vice president of sales and marketing at Draka USA, manufacturers of fiber-optic and copper cable products. Dungan, whose wire and cable industry experience spans nearly 30 years, joined Draka USA in 1996...

Materials scientist Dr. C.P. Wong has been appointed to the technology advisory board of optical-component and integrated optical-device manufacturer Lumenon Innovative Lightwave Technology. (People).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Materials scientist Dr. C.P. Wong has been appointed to the technology advisory board of optical-component and integrated optical-device manufacturer Lumenon Innovative Lightwave Technology. Currently a professor at the Georgia Institute of...

Calendar.(Calendar)
February 1, 2003... March 3-4 Centralized Network Designer. In Phoenix by Fiber Network Training and Consulting Services. Tel: 866-818-8050, 602-414-0606, fax: 602-414-4677, Website: www.f-n-t.com. 3-5 BICSI 2003 South Pacific Conference. In Melbourne,...

Photonic Networks has appointed Dr. Reuven Duer director of physics for the company's U.S. operations in Calabassas Hills, CA. (People).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Israel-based Lynx Photonic Networks has appointed Dr. Reuven Duer director of physics for the company's U.S. operations in Calabassas Hills, CA. "By relocating him closer to our outsourced manufacturing partners in California, Reuven's presence...

Lynne Craver has been promoted to network operations vice president at broadband services provider Progress Telecom. (People).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Lynne Craver has been promoted to network operations vice president at broadband services provider Progress Telecom, responsible for managing all aspects of network and customer circuit reliability, including installation, maintenance,...

Optical transmission systems supplier Transmode Systems AB has named Jim Lang vice president of U.S. sales. (People).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... To establish greater presence in the U.S. market, optical transmission systems supplier Transmode Systems AB has named Jim Lang vice president of U.S. sales. Lang was previously sales VP at Astral Point Communications (purchased by Alcatel),...

Steady growth expected for first mile Ethernet. (Market Watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The formation of industry groups and standards bodies and an anticipated reduction in costs for end users will increase the number of residential Ethernet in the first mile (EFM) subscribers over the next four years, reveals new research from...

Long road to recovery for long-haul market, but fewer bumps ahead next year. (Market Watch).
February 1, 2003... Long-haul (LH) optical revenue, which comprised 51% of the total optical market in 2001, decreased by more than 50% in 2002, according to new findings from Probe Research (Cedar Knolls, NJ). Analysts there expect the market to remain relatively...

SONET/SDH market tops $1 billion in third quarter 2002. (Market Watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The SONET/SDH market netted $1.1 billion in the third quarter of last year, according to a new report from Dell'Oro Group (Redwood City, CA). This revenue represents two-thirds of the total optical transport market. "Although the SONET/SDH...