European operators trial Firecomms OptoLock-based products

SEPTEMBER 24, 2009 -- Firecomms Ltd., a developer of high-speed plastic optical fiber (POF) transceivers and surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), has announced that its OptoLock technology is the backbone of a range of Homefibre POF networking equipment that will be used in field trials by several Tier 1 European operators during 2009.

Homefibre will partner with several operators in Europe over the coming months to install plastic optical fiber networks in homes, hospitals, and hotels. The company's range of OptoLock-based products was featured at the ICT BONE booth at ECOC 2009, as part of the EU-sponsored ICT ALPHA project.

"We are delighted to partner with Firecomms, a world leader in POF transceiver technology, in enabling our range of networking products," says Josef Faller, managing director of Homefibre. "Our range of OptoLock-enabled switches and converters allows our customers to drastically reduce installation times while improving the overall quality and reliability of the installed network."

"The positive market reaction to HomeFibre's products is due to the simplicity of the application using Firecomms’ OptoLock technology," claims Hugh Hennessy, Firecomms' vice president of sales.

OptoLock, a plugless interface for POF, enables a simple fiber-optic link in consumer applications. Targeted for 100-Megabit Ethernet applications with stringent quality-of-service requirements such as IPTV gateways, set-top boxes, residential gateways, and optical networking terminals (ONTs), OptoLock quickens and simplifies the connection of devices in communications and infotainment networks, says Firecomms. The design enables the fiber to be cut and terminated to the exact required length on site, allowing even a novice consumer to quickly and easily terminate bare optical fiber.

Due to its ease of use, large core tolerances, and low costs, POF usage is growing in a range of applications. Created for consumer, industrial, and automotive applications in which plastic fiber can be used more easily and at lower cost than copper or glass fiber, POF is now used in millions of small area networks, such as those in many car models, and is rapidly gaining ground in home network and point-to-point interconnection. According to market research by Information Gatekeepers, the POF market is estimated to be worth more than $1 billion per year by the end of 2009.


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