Lightwave articles from May 2003

Lightwave archives from May 2003

Widely tunable technologies are still on the optical roadmap. (Technology).(Industry Overview)
May 1, 2003... In late 2001, the folks at iolon (San Jose, CA) predicted 2002 would be "the year of the design win," and that seems to have occurred to a certain extent. Lucent Technologies, for example, tapped iolon's Apollo lasers for use in its...

10-Gbit/sec XFP modules reach for longer distances. (Technology).(Industry Overview)
May 1, 2003... As is the case with 2.5-Gbit/sec devices, where the new small-form-factor-pluggable (SFP) transceivers promise to dominate the space, 10-Gbit/sec XFP modules appear the eventual winner in applications now served by 300-pin transponders. Despite...

Metro survivors are selling rings around thinning competition. (Trends).(Metro Connect 2003 USA conference)(Industry Overview)
May 1, 2003... Incumbent local-exchange carriers (ILECs) remain lords of the metro rings, but a host of competitive network providers are still standing, despite the shakeout in the competitive local-exchange market in the last three years. In late...

DuPont Photonics Technologies LLC. (Industry Update: North America).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... DuPont formed DuPont Photonics Technologies LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary located in the Boston suburb of Wilmington, MA. The new business is part of DuPont ventures, an externally facing venturing group focused on emerging technologies....

Long Beach Energy. (Industry Update: North America).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Long Beach Energy, working with Sempra Fiber Links (San Diego), a subsidiary of Sempra Energy, completed the installation of a fiber-optic telecommunications network in a portion of its natural gas pipeline. This network links Long Beach Energy...

NeoPhotonics. (Industry Update: North America).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... NeoPhotonics (San Jose, CA), a developer of nanomaterials-based photonics technologies and products, purchased Lightwave Microsystems (San Jose), which ceased operations last September. Lightwave Microsystems' product portfolio consists of...

Ciena. (Industry Update: & North America).(release of CoreDirector 2.1.1 core-switching product )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Ciena announced that release 2.1.1 of its CoreDirector core-switching product completed the Telcordia Technolgies (Morristown, Ni) operations system modifications for the integration of network elements (OSMINE) services process for the...

Broadwing Communications Services. (Industry Update: & North America).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Broadwing (cincinnati) agreed to sell the assets of its broadband business, Broadwing Communications Services, including the Broadwing name, to privately held C III Communications LIC (St. Louis) for $129 million in cash. under terms of the...

Looking Glass Networks. (Industry Update: & North America).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Looking Glass Networks (Oak Brook, IL), a facilities-based provider of metropolitan telecommunications transport services, is deploying the Cisco Systems (San Jose, CA) ONS 15600 multiservice switching platform in five MANs, including Los...

kSaria. (Industry Update: North America).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... kSaria (wilmington, MA) will apply its patented manufacturing automation technology and design techniques to become a fully automated on-demand manufacturer of custom fiber pigtails, fiber assemblies, and connectorization. kSaria's proprietary...

Sprint. (Industry Update: North America).(deployes Tellabs' 7100 optical transport system)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Sprint (Overland Park, KS) selected the Tellabs (Naperville, IL) 7100 optical transport system to deploy wavelength-based services to local, long-distance, and wireless customers. The DWDM systems will be deployed in sprint's North carolina and...

General Bandwidth. (Industry Update: North America).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... General Bandwidth (Austin. TX) has been selected by Rochester Telephone Co. (RTC--Rochester, IN) to help deliver voice services to customers in northern Indiana that are being served by RTC's fiber-to-the-home service offering. General...

Metro Ethernet Forum. (Industry Update: North America).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The Metro Ethernet Forum announced two new members, raising the total membership to 63 companies. Verizon Communications (New York city) and Rockefeller Group Telecommunications Services (NYC) are the latest to join the ranks of telecom...

Quantum. (Industry Update: North America).(Codeon (Columbia, MD) and Quantum Photonics (Jessup, MO)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Two Maryland fiber-optic startup companies merged and closed $17 million in new funding from a set of eight venture capital firms. Codeon (Columbia, MD) and Quantum Photonics (Jessup, MO) joined forces to form Covega, which will be based in...

Princeton Optronics. (Industry Update: North America).
May 1, 2003... Princeton Optronics (Princeton, NJ), a manufacturer of tunable lasers for fiber-optic networks, announced its partnership with Agility Communications (Santa Barbara, CA), Alcatel optronics (Paris), and Bookham Technology (Oxfordshire, UK) in a...

SMC Networks. (Industry Update: North America).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... SMC Networks (Irvine, CA) reported that its managed and unmanaged switches were selected by the Portland Public School District to deliver Fast Ethernet connectivity to classrooms and offices in the district's 107 facilities. Tiger-Switch...

OMM. (Industry Update: North America).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... OMM (san Diego), a supplier of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS)based optical-switch array modules, plans to cease operations, The company released all of its 85 employees and assigned the assets to the benefit of the company's creditors,...

Grande Communications. (Industry Update: North America).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Grande Communications (San Marcos, TX) purchased about 3,000 route-mi of fiber throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana from C3 Communications (Austin, TX). The fiber-network architecture consists of three SONET rings that serve...

Telecommunications Industry Association. (Industry Update: North America).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA--Arlington, VA) published four new fiber-optic test procedures (FOTPs). FOTP-4, Fiber Optic Component Temperature Life Test, is for determining the effects on the optical and mechanical...

Sorrento Networks. (Industry Update: Europe).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Sorrento Networks (San Diego) announced that ING BHF-BANK, one of Germany's leading commercial banks, deployed Sorrento's SideStreet Channel technology to implement an eight-node DWDM system on an existing SDH network. ING BHF-BANK has been...

Globe-Cast. (Industry Update: Europe).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Satellite broadcast provider Globe-Cast (Paris) extended its transworld ATM fiber network to Asia with the inauguration of a 45-Mbit/sec transparent fiber trunk between Singapore and Los Angeles, offering fiber connectivity between Europe,...

LambdaNet Communications. (Industry Update: Europe).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Pan-European carrier's carrier LambdaNet Communications GmbH (Han nover, Germany) deployed the ADVA Optical Networking (Mahwah, NJ) Fiber Service Platform (FSP) products in metro core network infrastructure in five German cities. The FSP 2000...

THUS plc. (Industry Update: Europe).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... U.K. service provider THUS plc (London) plans to deploy optical Ethernet equipment from Nortel Networks (Brampton, Ontario) into its network. Under an extension to an existing supply agreement, THUS will upgrade its existing Nortel OPTera...

Transmode Systems. (Industry Update: Europe).
May 1, 2003... Transmode Systems AB (Stockholm), together with German system integrator Pan Dacom, sold its CWDM system to German service provider TelemaxX. TelemaxX offers a range of customer-oriented services to enterprise customers in and around the...

Czech Telecom. (Industry Update: Europe).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Czech Telecom started providing international telecommunications services to its business and service-provider customers using DWDM equipment from Lucent Technologies (Murray Hill, NJ). Czech Telecom and Lucent have constructed an international...

Polatis. (Industry Update: Europe).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Polatis (Cambridge, UK) has been awarded a core patent relating to its photonic-switching platform. The patent, GB2372834, covers the company's micro-actuation and sensor technology and its application in photonic MxN switches. The technology...

Ample Communications. (Industry Update: Asia).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... A U.S. subsidiary of one of Japan's leading general trading companies, Tomen (Tokyo), signed a sales and distribution agreement with Ample Communications (Fremont, CA) to represent and sell Ample's entire line of highly integrated multispeed...

Highwave Optical Technologies. (Industry Update: Asia).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Highwave Optical Technologies (Lannion, France), a European provider of DWDM subsystems, announced that its optical amplifiers will be purchased by Mitsubishi Electric (Tokyo). Highwave will supply its latest generation of amplifiers, including...

NEC. (Industry Update: Asia).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... NEC (Tokyo) integrated Genoa's (Fremont, CA) new second-generation single-chip linear optical amplifier into a 10-Gbit/sec optical-transponder module for network applications. The new EML-based optical transponder allows long-reach applications...

DenseLight Semiconductors Private Ltd. (Industry Update: Asia).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... DenseLight Semiconductors Private Ltd. (Singapore), a provider of indium phophide-based photonics products has incorporated in the United States and opened a new office in Campbell, CA. Bill Diamond, DenseLight's CEO, will direct U.S....

Brasil Telecom. (Industry Update: South America).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Brasil Telecom (Brasilia) agreed to purchase 19.9% of MetroRed (Buenos Aires), a Brazilian data transmission firm, for $68 million. The agreement includes an option to take over the remaining 80.1%. MetroRed, owned by Fidelity and Boston...

A mixed-signal environment. (Editorial).(Editorial)
May 1, 2003... "So, what do you think of the show?" This standard trade-show conversation starter held particular resonance at OFC in March, one of the more significant measuring sticks for the state of the optical communications industry. Given that the vast...

Warning: tunable lasers are just the start; tunability in multiple forms will finally make the difference for high-value networks. (WDM Solutions).
May 1, 2003... Riding the escalator together to an OFC session on tunable lasers, I quipped to John Clark, president of iolon, that tunable-laser makers like him were the happiest folks at an otherwise sober show. He laughed and shot back, "We're delusional!"...

Bottom line looks better from the bottom: many management teams say they finally have their arms around costs and their feet on more solid ground. (Wall Street & Finance).
May 1, 2003... The more companies we meet these days, the more we see a consensus that the communications market is bumping along the bottom. At the same time, the many management teams we have talked with express growing confidence that they have a handle on...

Many metro vendors still don't get it: the path to metro success starts with technologies and business strategies that conform to marketplace realities. (Analyst Corner).
May 1, 2003... Now is the time for many optical-network equipment suppliers to change the rules of the game if they expect to win in the highly competitive metro space. Playing by new rules will mean positioning their technology effectively and accurately and...

IEC TC86 on fiber, components, systems. (Standards Watch).
May 1, 2003... During the 66th general meeting of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and its Technical Committee TC86 on Fibre Optics held in Beijing last October, several issues, proposals, and developments were considered on fiber,...

Which protocol will dominate carrier data networks by 2010? While there are reasons to think that changes are afoot, data networks in 2010 may look a lot like they do now. (Special Report: Sonet/SDH, ATM, IP).
May 1, 2003... Several months ago, visitors to Lightwave Online were greeted with the following question: "Which protocol will dominate carrier data networks in 2010: IP, Ethernet, ATM, frame relay, or something else entirely?" Our online pundits clearly...

Are PONs too small for the big fish? (Technology & Profits: Evaluating PON Alternatives).
May 1, 2003... While proponents debate ATM vs. Ethernet as the basis for passive optical networks, other observers wonder whether active alternatives might be a better choice for access networks. The prospects for fiber in the U.S. local loop brightened...

XFP MSA transceivers. (Premier Products: Components).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... For 10-Gigabit Ethernet and 10-Gigabit Fibre Channel applications, the EM1053 XFP VCSEL-based (850-nm) 10-Gbit/sec serial optical transceiver supports up to 300 m of high-bandwidth multimode (MM)-fiber transmission and 82 m of the standard...

Prototype reconfigurable OADMs emerge. (Tech Trends).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Optical add/drop multiplexers (OADMs) enable channels to be added or dropped from a group of channels in a DWDM network. Most of the OADMs in operation today are two-, four-, or eight-channel "fixed" devices, meaning they are pre-programmed to...

Finisar unveils 40km 10-Gbit XFP transceiver for DWDM apps. (Product Profile: Subsystems).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... At NFOEC last September, Finisar (Sunnyvale, CA) launched a 10-km ultra-small-form-factor 10-Gbit/sec XFP transceiver that occupies one-fifth the space and uses one-half the power of currently available transponders. Nine months later, it is...

OSP-ready splitter. (Premier Products: Components).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The outside plant (OSP) splitter simplifies installation of passive-optical-network field components, provides wide wavelength response and good port uniformity, and enables "pay as you grow" network deployment. The splitter closure is...

30-circuit host connector. (Premier Products: Components).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Used with 10-Gbit/sec XFP small-form-factor-pluggable modules, the 30-circuit host connector is suited for connecting switches, routers, and other storage equipment. This right-angle SMT connector features a 0.8-mm pitch, 30-position design....

Low drive voltage [LiNbO.sub.3] modulator. (Premier Products: Components).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The F-10 12.5-Gbit/sec lithium niobate modulator with a low 4-V drive voltage allows designers to reduce the power consumption of their transmitter by as much as 30%. Compatible with multisource-agreement transponder standards, the design...

Metro optical provisioning suite. (Premier Products: Systems & Subsystems).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The integrated end-to-end metro optical provisioning suite is a comprehensive service fulfillment solution that enables service providers to improve time-to-market and efficiently manage all aspects of their optical business. It provides order...

100 Base-FX interface modules. (Premier Products: Systems & Subsystems).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The JetCore 100Base-FX interface modules for Layers 2 and 3 switches and metro routers provide high-density 100-Mbit/sec Ethernet connectivity over multimode and singlemode optical fiber. Featuring quality of service, wire-speed extended access...

Automatic, high-speed measurement option. (Premier Products: Test Equipment).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The OMU-953 measurement option for the company's component spectrum analyzer enables polarization-dependent center wavelength (PDCW) and polarization-dependent bandwidth wavelength (PDBW) measurements simultaneously with insertion and...

Multichannel, multiport simulator enhancement. (Premier Products: Test Equipment).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The enhanced OmniBER XM network-simulator platform supports SONET/SDH simultaneous multichannel, multiportAPS service disruption measurement and automatic connectivity check of every path on every port. APS performance can be completely...

Reconfigurable rack package. (Premier Products: Installation).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... By offering reconfigurable rack packages with PureForm DCM modules, this flexible turnkey solution enables system operators to quickly upgrade or swap DCM modules with simple tools. The rack package can hold two DCM modules for "east/west"...

SFP evaluation test kit. (Premier Products: Manufacturing & Design).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The small-form-factor-pluggable (SFP) evaluation kit allows access and testing of all relevant signals, including high-speed data, status lines, serial ID, and digital diagnostics. Compatible with singlemode and multimode SFP transceiver lines,...

Photocurable adhesive, epoxy backfill. (Premier Products: Manufacturing & Design).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... For active LED, VOSEL, and photodiode alignment in the assembly of transceiver packages, the AbleLux AA5OT high-viscosity photocurable adhesive is an ultraviolet/visible (470-nm blue) light cure material that combines quick fixturing and low...

Fiber-optic: communications directory.(Directory)
May 1, 2003... Manufacturer 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...

CEL names VP. (People).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Longtime California Eastern Laboratories (CEL) strategic planning consultant Paul Minton joins the company as vice president of corporate development. He has been on CEL's board of directors for the past two-plus years. "Paul's expertise...

Corning Cable Systems. (People).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Dr. Joyce Kilmer has been appointed director of fiber-optic products at Sagitta, maker of precision automation, machine vision, and submicron polishing production equipment. Kilmer will lead the company's marketing efforts in new production...

Network IC. (People).(Agere Systems' John W. Gamble, Jr.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Network IC provider Agere Systems promoted John W. Gamble, Jr. to executive vice president and chief financial officer. Gamble joined the company two years ago as senior vice president and treasurer and was later promoted to senior vice...

Gigabit Optics. (People).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Philippe Brak joins integrated photonics component provider Gigabit Optics as vice president of sales and marketing. He was most recently vice president and general manager of Spectra-Physics's OEM business unit, and before that was the...

Calendar.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
May 1, 2003... May 13-16 BICSI 2003 Spring Conference. In Denver by BICSI. Tel: 800-242-7405 or 813-979-1991, Website: www.bisci.org. 15-16 7th annual Conference on Fiberoptics Markets in Europe. In Paris by KMI Research. Tel: 401-243-8114,...

Global undersea optical transmission market expected to remain submerged until next year. (Market Watch).(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
May 1, 2003... Thanks to the oversupply of capacity, the global undersea optical transmission market is forecast to remain in a downward cycle in 2003, reveals a new report by Probe Research (Cedar Knolls, NJ). Although revenue will continue to drop this...

U.S. lags far behind in FTTH deployment. (Market Watch).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... While fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) is beginning to make significant strides in high-speed broadband access in some parts of the world, the United States lags far behind in such deployments, according to a new report by In-Stat/MDR (Scottsdale, AZ)....

Worldwide fiber market restructures. (Market Watch).(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
May 1, 2003... The telecommunications market collapse has caused a sharp decline in fiber-optic-cable sales, prompting fiber and cable manufacturers to close or "moth-ball" factories, consolidate factories, and reduce staff, reports a new study by KMI...

Value proposition of upgrading to MPLS. (Online).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... KEN VAN ORMAN, SPIRENT COMMUNICATIONS Service providers looking to upgrade their network so they can offer a wider range of services would be wise to begin considering MPLS. Additionally, enterprise decision makers charged with choosing...

Light fantastic: new opportunities for the installation and maintenance specialist. (Online).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... MARC DUCHESNE, AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES A quick look at optical-network infrastructures around the globe reveals that more than half of the fiber count will have to be characterized within the next couple of years, either by network operators...

Next-generation routers: diverging demands of edge and core. (Online).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... KEVIN MACALUSO, TIMETRA NETWORKS Over the past 10 years, routers have proliferated in enterprise WANs and Internet access service networks, driven by the ubiquity of IP and an inexorable demand for capacity and performance. Recent protocol...

Trends in DWDM and their impact on network performance. (Online).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... DR. CRAIG A. ARMIENTO AND YURI A. YUDIN, CONFLUENT PHOTONICS Optical multiplexers and demultiplexers are the cornerstones of DWDM networks deployed by the telecommunications and cable TV industries. In addition to their use at terminal...

Extending optical-switching control to the legacy network. (Online).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... JEFF VANZWOL, ELEMATICS Equipment vendors and their carrier customers acknowledge that a Generalized MPLS (GMPLS) control plane for optical networks is an important component of next-generation transport networks. But the vast majority of...