INDUSTRY NEWS
US, European Tier 1 operators join with Infinera for Open XR Forum
to transform our access network through radical CapEx and OpEx cost reductions and seamless site upgrades while setting a clear evolution path to 800G pluggables. We are proud to be one of the founding members of the Open XR Forum and look forward to applying the same engineering passion and innovative experience that helped make Windstream a proven leader in optical networking to this consortium.” Launched at ECOC 2019, the technology has undergone trials with NBN, Australia’s wholesale open- access broadband provider, and in May 2021, launched a range of ICE-XR pluggables which support a range of transport rates, including 100G, 400G, and 800G.
The Open XR Forum has been launched with initial members including Verizon, Lumen Technologies, Windstream, Liberty Global, BT and Infinera. Open XR Forum is a consortium of network operators, equipment vendors and component vendors committed to building the foundation for a new generation of coherent optical solutions that enable seamless interconnectivity across multiple generations and support point-to-point and point-to-multipoint applications. Infinera’s XR Optics technology, which won the ECOC 2020 award for the most innovative product, is, says Infinera, the industry’s first coherent optical solution that can solve the challenges faced by network operators
Dr. Dave Welch, founder and chief innovation officer at Infinera said, “We’re excited to introduce the revolutionary concept of coherent subcarrier aggregation, one that will redefine the cost structure of next-generation transport networks. XR optics addresses a fundamental deficiency in optical communications technology and is expected to have a significant impact on any network that implements an aggregation function.” Art Nichols, vice president Network Architecture and Technology at Windstream commented, “As part of Windstream’s strategy to pioneer advanced networking solutions, we look forward to being at the forefront of bringing XR optics to market. XR optics has the potential
caused by the misalignment between network traffic patterns and the technology used to transport that traffic. The company says the significant growth in bandwidth driven by 5G, high- speed broadband and cloud- based services continues to put substantial pressure on network operators to keep up with demand. XR optics
provides a solution that can dramatically simplify
network architectures, reduce operating costs, and enable a dynamic and on-demand capacity allocation while paving the way for a network architecture that is compatible across multiple generations of optical technologies. Network operator studies have demonstrated that XR optics can provide a reduction in total cost of ownership by as much as 70%.
Vendors collaborate to simplify 5Gmobile pluggables
of innovation in high-speed full-band tuneable pluggable transceivers, pioneering the category more than a decade ago. We are well-positioned to meet customer needs in 5G and next-generation mobile networks.” The companies say that driven by the broad global 5G buildouts, MOPA aims to accomplish a common view and understanding in the industry regarding which optical solutions are required for 5G transport, such as fronthaul and backhaul. This serves to improve the current challenge for operators, system vendors, and optical pluggable suppliers to make the right technology choices and focus on the most relevant needs. MOPA benefits the ecosystem to ensure timely, cost-efficient, and optimised architectures.
Nokia, Ericsson, II-VI, Lumentum and Sumitomo Electric have jointly published a technical paper which recommends predefined optical blueprints for Mobile Optical Pluggables (MOPA) which connect cell sites to fibre networks. The companies say that streamlining the US$500 million MOPA eco-system will help industry focus on most relevant solutions and facilitate 5G rollouts. The first-time joint industry initiative lays out a set of Mobile Optical Blueprints which describe the most
of available optics strategies makes it easier to design and deploy 5G networks. We are pleased to be joining forces with Ericsson, II-VI, Lumentum and Sumitomo Electric on this vital initiative which will make the choice for fibre even more compelling in the transport domain.”
mechanical characteristics such as form factor, heat dissipation and operational temperature. Ian Redpath, Practice Leader, Transport Networks and Components at Omdia said, “In a 5G world, optical pluggables will be utilised to connect cell sites to the network core. Network operators are currently challenged with assessing many pluggable variations, increasing their qualification work load and slowing time to deploy. MOPA will streamline efforts for the connectivity community, enabling cost reductions and reducing time to deploy.” Stefaan Vanhastel, CTO Nokia Fixed Networks said, “Fibre is a critical component of 5G rollouts and provides unmatched capacity for 5G transport. A clear overview
“As high-capacity and cost-effective optical
solutions are critical to 5G and next-generation mobile networks, we are excited to participate in defining industry requirements which will both help the industry advance and increase the market opportunities for our highly differentiated full- band tuneable pluggable transceiver platform,” said Justin Abbott, Lumentum’s director of Product Line Management, Transmission. “Lumentum has a long history
optimised solutions of optical pluggables and
passive optical components. Recommendations include optical characteristics such as data rates, reach, power, wavelengths as well as
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| ISSUE 24 | Q2 2021
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