2 June 2003 Los Angeles, CA Lightwave -- Sweden's Socware Design Cluster and Acreo Photonics Research announced today what they claim is the world's first full-scale photonic network test bed project. The new network will be open to US and international companies to develop and test their latest communications semiconductors, switches, and broadband management and integration applications.
"Sweden's full-scale photonics network test bed is a unique and excellent opportunity for communications-related companies to test and refine their products and services in a real-world environment," explains Rolf Rising, director and head of IT and electronics, Invest in Sweden Agency. "It is made possible by the sophisticated IT infrastructure that Sweden's government and institutions have committed resources to and successfully developed over the years."
The test bed project, headed by Acreo Photonics Research and funded by Ericsson and VINNOVA, aims to stimulate the development of next-generation broadband communication; provide a service-transparent, high-bandwidth transport solution; and test 40-Gbits/sec for future cost-effective implementations through a multi-vendor, end-to-end, high-speed optical network. The network is open to U.S. companies wishing to test their technologies in a real world environment; Intel and Cisco are among the first to participate. The network will operate at speeds up to 40-Gbits/sec and will initially cover a distance of 250 miles, between the cities of Stockholm and Hudiksvall. The project is also serving as a test bed for specialized communications, semiconductors, switches, and network management applications and integration tools. The network will be connected to existing national and regional backbones, stretching the test bed more than 1,000 miles with a consumer test community of 23,000 individuals.