Lightwave articles from May 2006

Lightwave archives from May 2006

Optical duobinary promises improved reach, greater flexibility.(Focus on)
May 1, 2006... Electronic dispersion compensation has attracted significant attention recently as an alternative or augmentation to optically based dispersion compensation modules in carrier networks. But what if you didn't have to worry about dispersion?...

Multidegree ROADMs take center stage.(INDUSTRY)(optical add/drop multiplexers)
May 1, 2006... The industry has been buzzing about reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers (ROADMs) since SuperComm 2004, which proved to be a coming out party of sorts for the technology. Today, a new class of ROADMs has people talking--specifically,...

Don't bet against Carrier Ethernet.(Focus on)
May 1, 2006... Standardized more than 25 years ago, Ethernet has enjoyed unprecedented growth and dominance within corporate networks worldwide. Over the last decade, speeds have increased exponentially from 10 Mbits/ sec to 10 Gbits/sec. Ethernet has...

Adtran (Huntsville, AL) enhanced its Carrier Ethernet capabilities by acquiring all of Luminous Networks' (Cupertino, CA) intellectual property and worldwide product rights.(update)
May 1, 2006... Adtran (Huntsville, AL) enhanced its Carrier Ethernet capabilities by acquiring all of Luminous Networks' (Cupertino, CA) intellectual property and worldwide product rights. In addition to integrating the Luminous technologies into existing and...

Digital Lightwave (Clearwater, FL) and PE.fiberoptics (Berkshire, UK) announced a strategic sales and marketing partnership whereby Digital Lightwave will sell and distribute PE.fiberoptics.(update)
May 1, 2006... Digital Lightwave (Clearwater, FL) and PE.fiberoptics (Berkshire, UK) announced a strategic sales and marketing partnership whereby Digital Lightwave will sell and distribute PE.fiberoptics' range of portable chromatic dispersion and...

Following a February merger agreement, CTC Communications (Waltham, MA) and Choice One Communications (Rochester, NY) announced they are jointly acquiring Conversent Communications Inc. (Charleston, WV), an integrated communications provider with facilities and customers in the Northeast as well as in West Virginia.(update)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Following a February merger agreement, CTC Communications (Waltham, MA) and Choice One Communications (Rochester, NY) announced they are jointly acquiring Conversent Communications Inc. (Charleston, WV), an integrated communications provider...

Bristol Tennessee Essential Services (Bristol, TN), a full-service utility provider for the municipality of Bristol, deployed ETI Software Solutions' (Norcross, GA) Triad service activation system to automate the provisioning of an FTTP network and digital television services.(update)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Bristol Tennessee Essential Services (Bristol, TN), a full-service utility provider for the municipality of Bristol, deployed ETI Software Solutions' (Norcross, GA) Triad service activation system to automate the provisioning of an FTTP network...

FiberZone Networks.(closes second round of financing led by Portview Communications Partners and Stage One Ventures)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... FiberZone Networks (Bethesda, MD), a provider of automated connectivity systems for managing physical fiberoptic infrastructure, closed its second round of venture financing. The deal was led by Novak Biddle Venture Partners, with the...

FTTH and broadband aggregation technology provider PacketFront (Stockholm) signed a frame agreement with OpenNet (Stockholm), the communications operator to Svenska Bostader, a Swedish real estate company.(Internet por Fibra S.A. de C.V)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... FTTH and broadband aggregation technology provider PacketFront (Stockholm) signed a frame agreement with OpenNet (Stockholm), the communications operator to Svenska Bostader, a Swedish real estate company. Worth 40 million SEK ($5 million), the...

Siemens (Munich, Germany) signed a contract with Finnet Group (Helsinki, Finland) for the delivery of a "turnkey" fiber-optic network based on DWDM technology.(europe)
May 1, 2006... Siemens (Munich, Germany) signed a contract with Finnet Group (Helsinki, Finland) for the delivery of a "turnkey" fiber-optic network based on DWDM technology. The network is to boost Finnet's transfer capacity to up to 40 Gbits/sec on existing...

Vertilas GmbH.(completes third round of financing)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Vertilas GmbH (Garching, Germany), a supplier of vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) diodes, completed a third round of financing with results totaling 3.6 million [euro]. The company says it plans to use the new capital to advance...

Alcatel (Paris) and Lucent Technologies (Murray Hill, NJ) entered into a definitive merger agreement.(Compagnie Financiere Alcatel)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Alcatel (Paris) and Lucent Technologies (Murray Hill, NJ) entered into a definitive merger agreement. Under the terms of the agreement. Lucent shareowners will receive 0.1952 of an American Depositary Share (ADS) representing ordinary shares of...

PMC-Sierra (Santa Clara, CA) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Passave (Santa Clara), a developer of system-on-chip (SoC) semiconductor platforms for the FTTH and PON access markets.(HOTPICK)
May 1, 2006... PMC-Sierra (Santa Clara, CA) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Passave (Santa Clara), a developer of system-on-chip (SoC) semiconductor platforms for the FTTH and PON access markets. The acquisition price of approximately $300...

To offer 4-Gbit/sec networking options to business customers as part of its data transport services, Telekom Austria (Vienna) deployed ADVA Optical Networking's (Munich, Germany) Fiber Service Platform (FSP) 2000 system.(europe)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... To offer 4-Gbit/sec networking options to business customers as part of its data transport services, Telekom Austria (Vienna) deployed ADVA Optical Networking's (Munich, Germany) Fiber Service Platform (FSP) 2000 system. The plat form was...

The London Internet Providers Exchange (Lipex) deployed Force10 Networks' (Milpitas, CA) S50 data center switch to build a 10-Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) peering network among five Internet exchange points in London.(europe)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The London Internet Providers Exchange (Lipex) deployed Force10 Networks' (Milpitas, CA) S50 data center switch to build a 10-Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) peering network among five Internet exchange points in London. The switch supports 48 line-rate...

Seikoh Giken (Chiba, Japan) and NEC Tokin Corp. (Tokyo) signed a letter of intent regarding the transfer of NEC.(asia)
May 1, 2006... Seikoh Giken (Chiba, Japan) and NEC Tokin Corp. (Tokyo) signed a letter of intent regarding the transfer of NEC's optical device business to Seikoh.

The Gas Authority of India Ltd. (GAIL--New Delhi) selected ECI Telecom's (Petah Tikva, Israel) optical networking platforms for the expansion of the authority's Gail-Tel South network.(asia)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... The Gas Authority of India Ltd. (GAIL--New Delhi) selected ECI Telecom's (Petah Tikva, Israel) optical networking platforms for the expansion of the authority's Gall Tel South network. ECI's equipment is supporting a long-haul SDH regional net...

Oki Electric Industry (Tokyo) achieved experimental 160-Gbit/sec data transmission over a distance of 635 km in a field trial conducted as part of a project consigned by Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT--Tokyo).(asia)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Oki Electric Industry (Tokyo) achieved experimental 160-Gbit/sec data transmission over a distance of 635 km in a field trial conducted as part of a project con signed by Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology...

Glimmerglass (Hayward, CA) partnered with Terilogy (Tokyo), a provider of service assurance software, to market and distribute the Glimmerglass line of intelligent optical switches to telecommunications and networking customers in Japan.(asia)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Glimmerglass (Hayward, CA) partnered with Terilogy (Tokyo), a provider of service assurance software, to market and distribute the Glimmerglass line of intelligent optical switches to telecommunications and networking customers in Japan....

Plug-and-play operations in MPLS-enabled metro Ethernet.(www.lightwaveonline.com)(multiprotocol label switching)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... Running a network is big business, and one that doesn't tolerate interruptions of any kind, for any reason. No Tier 1 service provider can afford to interrupt business to introduce new service components--even if they're good for business. In...

FTTP facilitates a new vision for planned communities in West Virginia.(www.lightwaveonline.com)
May 1, 2006... West Virginia is realizing the fruits of an economic development initiative 10 years in the making, the cornerstone of which is the state's High Technology Corridor. Land development company Genesis Partners has created a master-planned...

Growing pains.(Editorial)
May 1, 2006... The research, analysis, and consulting firm Telegeography recently created a stir with a press release entitled "The Bandwidth Glut is Over." Supply equilibrium, price stability, and competitor consolidation have improved overall market health,...

Challenges mark GPON FEC receiver designs.(Technology: Advances in research, development, engineering, and standards)(Gigabit Passive Optical Network, Fast Ethernet Channel )
May 1, 2006... APD or FEC in the ONT? That is the question-or, at least if not the question, it does weigh on the minds of many GPON system vendors. Receivers that implement avalanche photodiodes (APDs) can easily meet the sensitivity requirements...

GPON burst-mode receiver electronics prove challenging.(Gigabit Passive Optical Network)
May 1, 2006... While systems vendors have readied their GPON offerings for the RBOC showdown, they've had to do so without as much help as expected from their chip suppliers when it comes to burst-mode receiver electronics. Tighter timing parameters and a...

IEC standard for plastic optical fibers.(STANDARDS WATCH)
May 1, 2006... The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) optical fiber document structure comprises a hierarchy of a product specification that contains general requirements applicable to multimode and singlemode fibers and sectional specifications...

Multiservice modules for testing.(TEST EQUIPMENT)
May 1, 2006... The multiservice module (MSM) product line provides testing of 2.5- and 10-Gbit/sec networks utilizing Packet over SONET/SDH (POS), Ethernet over SONET, and 10-Gbit Ethernet. Network equipment manufacturers can test for performance,...

Optical polarization analyzer.(TEST EQUIPMENT)
May 1, 2006... The short-wavelength A2000 component analyzer operates in the 850- to 1100-nm range. When combined with a tunable laser, it allows measurement of PMD/DGD from less than 0.1 psec to more than 200 psec. The analyzer performs real-time...

Modular test system automates 802.3aq compliance testing.(PRODUCT PROFILE)
May 1, 2006... Circadiant Systems (Allentown, PA) recently released its Hydra modular test system (MTS), which the company says ranks among the industry's first commercially available 10-Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) long-reach multimode (LRM) compliance test...

Eight-fiber polarization controller.(TEST EQUIPMENT)
May 1, 2006... An eight-channel polarization controller that uses eight Phoenix PSC all-fiber polarization controllers offers both manual polarization control and analog voltage control in a 19-inch rack configuration. Each controller within the unit consists...

Lightweight multipurpose OTDR.(TEST EQUIPMENT)
May 1, 2006... For complete fiber characterization in LAN/WAN, enterprise, and premises wiring test applications, the FTB-150 compact optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) supports any singlemode configuration at up to four wavelengths (among 850, 1300,...

High-power laser diode current sources.(TEST EQUIPMENT)
May 1, 2006... The LDX-3600 Series high-power laser diode current sources are designed to control and test high-power laser diodes, providing currents from 10 to 120 A in continuous-wave and quasi-continuous-wave modes. The sources feature high setpoint...

96-port outside-plant cabinet.(INSTALLATION)
May 1, 2006... The Fiber Scalability Center (FSC) line of outside-plant cabinets for FTTP architectures is now available in a rugged 96-port unit. The One-Touch installation system reduces installation time with preinstalled pigtails in the slide-out "Valet...

Handheld fiber preparation unit.(INSTALLATION)
May 1, 2006... The FPU--Polyimide Unit is a handheld fiber preparation device that removes polyimide, metallic, and carbon-coated optical fibers using Ion Enhanced Cold Plasma (IECP) stripping. This technology ionizes the atmosphere surrounding the plasma...

Multiple-dwelling-unit product portfolio.(INSTALLATION)
May 1, 2006... With compact, robust, preterminated enclosures, the OmniReach multiple-dwelling-unit (MDU) product line allows distribution nodes to be added to FTTX networks, supporting both high and low fiber-count applications (which may include apartments,...

Integrated burst-mode laser driver and limiting amp.(COMPONENTS)
May 1, 2006... The M02090 integrates a burst-mode laser driver with a limiting amplifier to deliver up to 2.5-Gbit/ sec data rates in optical network units/terminals (ONUs/ONTs) used in PONs. The laser driver, which can drive 100 mA of modulation current and...

Low-power LAN/WAN PHY IC.(COMPONENTS)
May 1, 2006... The QT2032 is a third-generation, low-power, XFI-to-XAUI LAN/WAN PHY IC for 10-Gbit/sec Ethernet. It enables Ethernet traffic over LANs or SONET/SDH networks and WDM WANs with SONET-compliant jitter performance. With its 90-mW power...

Bend-insensitive cable assemblies.(COMPONENTS)
May 1, 2006... Singlemode bend-insensitive cable assemblies feature precision depressed clad singlemode fiber that enables a tight bend radius (long-term performance demonstrated at a bend radius AFL Telecommunications, www.aflfiber.com ...

Low-loss variable optical attenuator.(COMPONENTS)
May 1, 2006... Based on the previous Telecordia-qualified Fast VOA models, the FVOA5100 variable optical attenuator exhibits low wavelength-dependent loss (WDL) for variable gain control applications in optical amplifiers and power equalization in DWDM...

1-GHz forward path transmitter.(SYSTEMS)
May 1, 2006... As part of the CHP Max5000 headend platform that integrates headend, hub, and 1550-nm transmission onto one 2-RU scalable system, the CliP 1311-nm forward path transmitter features a 1-GHz bandwidth that can increase forward capacity for HDTV,...

GPON access equipment.(SYSTEMS)
May 1, 2006... The SpectralWave line of GPON access equipment consists of the AM Series optical line terminal (OLT) and ME Series ONUs/ ONTs. The nonblocking, multiservice-access OLT platform can be scaled to more than 3,000 subscribers per shelf. The modular...

High-capacity, enhanced MSSP.(SYSTEMS)
May 1, 2006... The addition of IEEE 802.17 resilient packet ring (RPR) and DS3 transmultiplexing capabilities, as well as a 2x increase in 0C-48 interface density, allow the FLASHWAVE 4500 multiservice switching platform (MSSP) to combine SONET, Ethernet over...

Copper-to-fiber media converters.(SYSTEMS)
May 1, 2006... A series of analog video copper-to-fiber media converters provides a means to transport analog NTSC, PAL, or SECAM video signals over singlemode or multimode fiber, allowing security providers and administrators to utilize optical...

Reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer.(SUBSYSTEMS)
May 1, 2006... The iROAD 4000 integrated reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) is targeted at metropolitan optical networks that require highly flexible wavelength management. The ROADM uses solid-state optics and planar lightwave circuit (PLC)...

Integrable tunable laser assembly.(SUBSYSTEMS)
May 1, 2006... The Pirelli ITLA is a compact module with a built-in tunable laser and control electronics in a hermetically sealed 26-pin butterfly package designed for DWDM optical network systems. Based on MSA standards, it can be incorporated into an MSA...

Optical duobinary transponders.(SUBSYSTEMS)
May 1, 2006... The Marathon product portfolio offers a variety of optical duobinary transponders that conform to the standard 300-pin MSA and Optical Internetworking Forum specifications. The transponders are capable of longer distances and higher dispersion...

Ensuring profitability with a 3G ROADM system.(Applications: Innovative component, subsystem, system, and network design examples and alternatives)
May 1, 2006... These are exciting and challenging times for network operators. The growing impact of broadband everywhere portends huge changes in the network. For starters, traffic volume continues to increase as more people make more use of high-bandwidth...

Corning uses Telcordia's 'virtual' design simulation service in FTTH cabinet design.(Corning Cable Systems, Telcordia Technologies Inc., Fiber To The Home)
May 1, 2006... Telcordia (Piscataway, N J) recently launched its Digital Work Design (DWD) service, a CAD-based design simulation tool aimed at the telecommunications industry. Telcordia says the service incorporates highly detailed graphical simulations,...

Systems vendors eye wireless backhaul market.(Industry: Opportunities, market intelligence, and forecasts to improve your bottom line)
May 1, 2006... One company's competitive threat is another's opportunity. The ability of Wi-Fi and WiMAX technology to deliver Internet and broadband services may cut into the market opportunity for optical access systems. However, metro access equipment and...

FTTH moves forward in Europe, but growth is eclipsed.(Fiber To The Home)
May 1, 2006... At the end of January, the FTTH Council Europe met in Vienna for a two-day session to discuss the challenges, opportunities, and future of FTTH deployments in Europe. Hartwig Tauber, the president of the council, underscored the stark reality...

Study: FTTB is key for Verizon.(MARKET WATCH)(fiber-to-the-business, Verizon Communications Inc.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... BIA Financial Network (BIAfn--Chantilly, VA) and Telecom Pragmatics (Birmingham, AL) have issued a joint report, which concludes that contrary to the telecom industry's "conventional wisdom," Verizon's access strategy isn't based on delivering...

Optical long-haul recovers in 2005 with 32% gain.(MARKET WATCH)
May 1, 2006... According to a report by Infonetics Research (Campbell, CA), worldwide optical revenue increased 19% between 2004 and 2005 to $10.7 billion, driven by strong growth in the metro equipment segment (up 15%) and the long-haul segment (up 32%). ...

Asian FTTH usage to surpass 40 million homes by 2010.(Fiber To The Home)(Brief article)
May 1, 2006... A recent report from The Diffusion Group (TDG--Dallas, TX) predicts that the number of Asian FTTH users will grow eightfold in the next five years, from 5 million in 2005 to more than 40 million in 2010. The group says that by 2010, FTTH will...