“There is a compelling synergy between automation and optical networking.”
INDUSTRY NEWS
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KPN to retire copper in fibre areas
der Haar, FCA Director.
Dutch incumbent KPN has announced plans to retire copper networks in areas where fibre has been deployed. By the beginning of 2023, KPN will put copper connectivity out of use at almost 2.4 million addresses where fibre optic is located. The operator says customers who still use the copper network at these addresses can be converted to fibre by their provider. The expansion of the KPN fibre optic network is also continuing. The operator is currently rolling out fibre optic technology in more than 70 areas. Around 1 million new connected addresses will be added by the end of 2021. At these new addresses, KPN will also put the copper network out of operation in the areas where both copper and glass are located. KPN says it will Infinera has won two partners for it’s XR Optics in the form of Lumentum and II-VI. XR Optics utilises independently routable Nyquist subcarriers and coherent optical aggregation capabilities, enabling network operators to design more efficient, flexible, and cost- effective transport networks optimised for the applications driving network growth. Nyquist subcarrier technology, pioneered by Infinera, divides a single high-speed wavelength into multiple efficient low-baud-rate subcarriers. The technology is enhanced with granular subcarrier control, allowing tighter spectrum packing which results in higher capacity-reach on a single fibre.
maintain one network in the long run.
inform customers about this in a timely manner.
According to Van der Haar, the fierce competition for the construction and exploitation of local networks is mainly about losers: “We see that competitors are trying to cut each other off at the local level. The result is capital destruction, and households and citizens who in some cases have to wait longer for fibre optics or even get no connection at all.”
But all is not sweetness and light in the Dutch fibre sector. In December last year a report from the Fiber Carrier Association (FCA) trade body warned that national competition in the construction of fibre optic networks is hardening, with negative consequences for all fibre optic parties and public confidence in digital facilities. The FCA report says several Dutch municipalities are struggling with so- called ‘over-construction’. “Often several fibre optic parties present themselves to a municipality for the construction of a fibre optic network for households. And while in the vast majority of cases only one network is profitable,” states Andrew van important team player, recognising the value of XR optics and committed to bringing this innovative solution to market.” Welch added, “We are excited to partner with II-VI to introduce this revolutionary point-to-multipoint solution that is expected to help network operators realise unprecedented savings. We are experiencing growing interest from our customers in XR optics, and collaborating with a leader like II-VI underscores the value of this innovation and our commitment to bring it to market with a broad-based coalition of top-tier suppliers.”
“To be able to reap the benefits of digitisation as a society, we need fibre optic technology, the future-proof technology for the fixed network,” commented Babak Fouladi, Chief Technology & Digital Officer and Member of the KPN Board of Management. “That is why, as a company, we are installing fibre optic on a large scale, and in areas where fibre optic and copper are located we will eventually expand this last network and deliver the services via a complete fibre optic connection.” The telco says that by converting from copper to fibre optic, all KPN and KPN Wholesale customers benefit from the best network in the ground, and KPN only has to “Collaborating with Infinera leverages our deep experience in high-speed coherent components and pluggable modules to bring an innovative solution like XR optics to market,” said Beck Mason, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Lumentum’s Telecom Transmission Business. “The XR optics concept aligns with our core strategy to provide scalable and flexible coherent optical network solutions that enable higher speeds for next-generation transport networks.” “We are delighted to partner with Lumentum to introduce this revolutionary point-to- multipoint solution designed to help network operators benefit from unprecedented savings,” said Dr. Dave Welch, Founder and CIO, Infinera. “Lumentum has been an
Van der Haar reckons abundant competition is unnecessary. “Healthy
competition is important. But too fierce competition stands in the way of cooperation. And we need cooperation to meet the fibre optic challenges of the future,” he concludes.
Infinera wins partners for XR Optics
a higher average speed of transmission, Nyquist subcarrier technology was used for point-to-point connections and appeared in Infinera’s ICE4 Infinite Capacity Engine, a new version of which is expected to be released in 2020. With coherent subcarrier aggregation (CSA) capabilities, XR Optics technology enables a single high-speed transceiver to simultaneously send and receive independent data streams to and from numerous low-speed transceivers. By leveraging these capabilities, Infinera says network operators will be positioned to significantly reduce the number of transceivers in the network, eliminate the need for costly intermediate aggregation devices and more efficiently optimise transport infrastructure.
Originally developed for long-haul optical communications to
provide greater reach and control of the signal to get
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| ISSUE 20 | Q1 2020
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