In Brief

The optical components market is set to see growth again in 2003, with a 30% year-on-year increase in revenue, according to research company Strategies Unlimited (SU). In its report Optical Networking Components — 2003 Market Outlook, SU says the growth will come as inventories are finally depleted and the market begins to see new system orders.

Alcatel Optronics, France, and Hitachi Cables and NEL, Japan, have announced a multi-source agreement for thermally stabilised arrayed waveguide grating modules. These standardised AWGs will provide multiplexing and demultiplexing interfaces for DWDM optical equipment.

Santel Networks, CA, USA, which has developed the "first" commercially available 10Gbit/s electronic dispersion compensator (EDC) with CDR-D, is to open a European regional sales office in Vimercate, Italy.

Modulight of Tampere in Finland and distributor High-Tech Corp of Tokyo have signed a distribution agreement to sell and promote Modulight's products in Japan. Modulight's range covers optoelectronic epiwafers, chips and packaged components.

BTexact Technologies of Ipswich, UK has signed a licence agreement to allow Furukawa Electric's US-based fibre supplier OFS to use BT's blown-fibre technology and know-how. OFS will use the technology in its Access Advantage FTTH solution.

Infineon Technologies is claiming to be the first supplier of optical transceiver (TRX) modules to begin shipping samples of XPAK MSA-compliant devices for both long- and short-reach data transmission applications. Volume production of final-standard-compliant modules is planned for second-half 2003.

Cambridge Positioning Systems is working with Intel to integrate its E-OTD high-accuracy location technology into a range of its products aimed at the wireless and handheld markets. Intel is working with CPS to integrate E-OTD technology into a range of mobile devices running Intel Personal Internet Client Architecture building blocks.

High-speed, high-capacity, core optical solutions provider Tellium Inc of New Jersey, USA is expanding its European presence with a new sales office in Paris, joining offices in London and Brussels. Frederic Esbert (ex-Tellabs) will be the new area vice president for sales.

Level 3 Communications has been selected by NORDUnet to provide Internet access service to research and education networks throughout Scandinavia. Level 3 is to provide NORDUnet with two 2.5Gbit/s IP ports from diverse locations in Stockholm. With over one million end-users in the Nordic countries, NORDUnet A/S is responsible for the development and operation of the Nordic research network backbone, NORDUnet.

Silicon MEMS product and service supplier Colibrys SA, founded in January 2001 in Neuchatel, Switzerland, has registered a North American subsidiary Colibrys Inc in Cary, North Carolina, and appointed James A Aberson as business development manager for North America.

Scarlet BV has agreed with Dutch incumbent telecoms operator Royal KPN NV to take over, on 1 January 2003, the assets and activities of its subsidiary KPN Belgium, which provides telecom services to business users in the Belgian market. About 200 staff will transfer to Scarlet.

LambdaNet Communications, Hannover, the pan-European supplier of network-related telecommunications services, has introduced a new billing option for its IP VPN customers called "destination-based billing". LambdaNet claims to be the first European IP-VPN provider to introduce a pricing option based on destination zones. The company has built an IP address-monitoring tool into its existing IP/MPLS network.

Corning Cable Systems, Munich, Germany, has been awarded a contract by the Public Power Corporation of Greece to construct a national optical fibre network. The new PPC network will comprise three rings, totalling 1,700 cabled kilometers across Greece.

Munich's Infineon Technologies is to spin off its passive wavelength division multiplexing R&D unit, which makes arrayed waveguide gratings, and merge these activities with OpTun Inc, an Israeli fabless start-up based in Menlo Park, CA, USA which develops semi-custom monolithic integrated optical circuits.

Meriton Networks, Ottawa, Canada, a developer of wavelength networking equipment, has secured additional funding of USD17m. This will support product trials already underway by telecommunication carriers, as well as expansion into new markets, especially Asia.