Optical Connections Industry Focus 2021

CONTENTS

While we take a look back at some of the highlights of 2021, the main focus of this issue is looking to the future. The end of 2021 is almost upon us and the new year beckons, but what will 2022 hold for the fibre optic communications industry? In this issue we asked two leading analysts and three major industry players for their views and while their findings are not overly surprising, they do define what the industry needs to do to respond to the exponential demand for bandwidth and the disruption to supply chains created by the Covid-19 pandemic. Speaking of which, trade shows and expo’s have started going live once more and, Covid variants notwithstanding, they will continue that way in 2022. Let’s face it, however effective the technology behind virtual expo’s becomes, there’s no substitute for meeting face-to-face, or at least mask-to- mask. A prime example was ECOC 2021, held in Bordeaux in September. Despite travel restrictions in place in some countries, the show attracted 130 exhibiting companies and 2,512 attendees frommore than 40 countries. Going forward, Optical Connections’ latest venture, the Telecoms, Optics and Photonics (TOP) conference, in London in February, will also be live, as will OFC and ECOC 2022 in Basel. So, what can we look forward to by way of developments in the year ahead? It seems that 2022 will be less about new technologies, and more about advancing existing ones. In this issue, Infinera’s Paul Momtahan writes that the stars have finally aligned for multi-vendor, open, and disaggregated optical networking, to enable optical networks where coherent transponders/muxponders from one or more vendors can run over an open line system from a different vendor. Also, Reichle & De Massari’s Michiel Panders and Andreas Rüsseler take a look at expected developments in the Local Area Networks, Data Centre, and Telco markets. When looking to the future it is easy however, to concentrate on the innovations taking place in the network and lose sight of the physical tools needed for fast and efficient rollouts. Highlighting a vital piece of kit is Nicol Low, COO at Vert Technologies, which manufactures compressors used to blow fibre. He points out that fast rollout has been hampered by technicians having to rely on compressors that are prone to excessive noise, overheating and lower duty cycles. He explains how new developments in compressor technology will speed up installation times and make the blowing-in process far more efficient. With all this plus a round-up of ECOC 2021 exhibition, including this year’s Award winners and a preview of the new TOP Conference, there’s plenty to look forward to in this issue as well as 2022. Myself and the Optical Connections team send our very best wishes for the holiday season and the New Year to all our readers, subscribers and advertisers, and hope that we will all meet up again in 2022. Peter Dykes Contributing Editor, Optical Connections THE YEAR TURNS AND THE INDUSTRY MOVES ON

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