Lightwave

Alcatel-Lucent is focusing on “Moving Metro Forward” at OFC 2014. Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy speaks with Alcatel-Lucent IP Transport Marketing Leader Kevin Drury about what this means in the context of 100-Gbps transmission. Along the way, Kevin discusses strategies for reducing the cost of 100G for metro applications, whether Alcatel-Lucent would ever be interested in a pluggable coherent transceiver, and what the prospects for 200G and 400G in the metro might be.

Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy interviews Ron Kline, principal analyst, network infrastructure at Ovum, about 100G’s market traction in 2013 and his expectations for 2014. Ron offers his opinions on the opportunity for 100G in the metro, as well as for the prospects for 200G and 400G.

Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy quizzes John Calvin, BERT portfolio manager at Tektronix, about the challenges technology developers are likely to face working in applications with data rates ranging from 25G to 28G. The three primary applications are the OIF CEI interfaces, InfiniBand, and IEEE 802.3bj. While they have aspects in common, each application also presents unique challenges that must be addressed.

Jimmy Gagnon, product specialist at EXFO Inc., discusses the latest trends in FTTx test and measurement with Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy. Topics include developing requirements within FTTx test, the evolution of FTTx test instruments, and strategies for lowing FTTx test costs.

Sujan Sami, Measurement & Instrumentation Program manager for market research firm Frost & Sullivan, talks to Lightwave’s Editorial Director Stephen Hardy about the major trends in fiber-optic test and measurement equipment. He estimates the size of the fiber-optic test and measurement market and discusses the major trends in the optical network test space. These include the influence of coherent transmission as well as increased data rates in carrier and enterprise/data center fiber-optic networks. He also offers his expectations for consolidation in the fiber-optic test and measurement space.

With high-speed optical transceivers evolving quickly into smaller form factors with different requirements, test and measurement tools and procedures must keep pace. Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy met with Dr. Paul Brooks of JDSU’s Network and Services Enablement Group at ECOC 2013 recently to discuss the evolution from CFP to CFP2, what the test requirements of CFP4 might be, and what the future holds for transceivers designed to support eventual 400 Gigabit Ethernet specifications.

Lightwave Editorial Director and Associate Publisher Stephen Hardy provides an overview of the announcements and discussions of 100G at the ExCeL in London that he found most significant. On the line side, Stephen covers pluggable coherent transmission technology for 100 Gbps in the metro, advancements in coherent DSPs, coherent CFP2 design conundrums, what to make of direct detect, and more. Client side advancements cover smaller modules and more powerful chip technology. The podcast finishes with 100G-related test announcements.

The OIF’s latest interoperability demo at ECOC 2013 indicates that CEI-28G-VSR and CEI-25G-LR are ready for prime time. Ed Frlan, senior system architect at Semtech, represented OIF at the show and describes to Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy what went on and what it means to the industry.

Communications electronics supplier Inphi has made a name for itself in the world of high-speed communications and participated in the OIF’s interoperability demonstration at ECOC 2013. Vice President of Marketing, High Speed Connectivity Products Siddarth Sheth describes the company’s part in the demonstration, offers predictions for electronics integration, and discusses the prospects for a next-generation short-reach 100 Gigabit Ethernet specification.

Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy visits with Finisar’s Vice President of Marketing Rafik Ward to discuss the CFP4 transceiver on display at the company’s ECOC stand. Also on the docket are the 25-Gbps VCSEL technology used in the demonstrated CFP4, the demand for CFP2, and what kind of demand has emerged for Finisar’s 4x28G direct-detect metro transceiver.