We’ve talked about 100 Gigabit Ethernet deployments in the data center long enough – when is it going to happen and which module MSAs will see the most volume? Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy polled several experts at ECOC 2015 in Valencia, Spain, and has the answers in this exclusive podcast.  

Sponsored by Source Photonics.

Optical transmission in the data center and for data center interconnect was a major them at ECOC 2015. Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy captures the varying viewpoints on what will be hot – and what won't – for these applications based on interviews conducted with market analysts and technology developers at the show.

Sponsored by Oclaro.

Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy reviews his picks for the most significant announcements and trends surrounding 100-Gbps technology at ECOC 2014. He covers both line side, where significant advancements were made in coherent transmission via new pluggable optical transceivers and the supporting semiconductors, and client side, where single-lambda 100 Gigabit Ethernet was a main topic of conversation.

Daryl Inniss, vice president of Ovum’s components practice, offers his opinions on the market for coherent CFP and CFP2 modules, the merchant DSP chips that may power them, when and if interoperability will become necessary, and the demand for 200G capabilities, among other topics.

Finisar is touting 50-Gbps technology as a building block toward 100G and above in the data center. Vice President of Marketing Rafik Ward describes for Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy a 50G demo that leverages components based on silicon photonics. He compares this approach with the high-speed VCSEL technology demonstrated at OFC, and gives a brief update on the company’s efforts in coherent transmission.

Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy sits down with Andrew Schmitt, Principal Analyst, Carrier Transport Networking for Infonetics Research to discuss the results of a new survey of carriers regarding the 100G metro market. Find out why the results surprised him and what it means for vendor strategy.

Oclaro is demonstrating new 100G transceiver technology for both line side and client side applications. New Oclaro Chief Commercial Officer Adam Carter reviews the new coherent CFP2 for 200G applications as well as the current proliferation of 100G MSAs for data center applications.

There was a lot related to 100-Gbps discussed at OFC 2014 in San Francisco, and Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy summarizes the highlights in this final podcast in our series. Topics include pluggable coherent CFP and CFP2 modules for the line side, new DSPs for such applications, and other enabling technologies, such as integrated coherent transmitters and integrated coherent transceivers. The client side gets its due as well, with a look at the advent of CFP4 modules and action within the QSFP28 form factor. Emerging optical transceiver MSAs for data center applications of around 1-2 km also are covered.

Pluggable coherent 100G modules are a significant topic of conversation here at OFC 2014. But what are the prospects for their adoption? Vladimir Kozlov, founder and CEO of market research firm LightCounting, discusses his company’s market figures for coherent 100G for 2013, his expectations for 2014 and beyond, and how large a portion of port market share modules might fill.

Lightwave Editorial Director and Associate Publisher Stephen Hardy talks with Avi Shabtai, CEO of MultiPhy, the leading provider of silicon that supports 100-Gbps transmission using direct detection, rather than coherent detection. Shabtai offers his viewpoints on who the demand for 100G direct detect has evolved, whether the advent of metro-focused coherent 100G pluggable transceivers will threaten the market for direct-detect options, and whether there’s a future for direct detect at speeds greater than 100G.