JANUARY 8, 2008 -- Calix (search for Calix) has announced the availability of what it describes as the first GPON optical network terminal (ONT) that uses standards-based radio frequency over glass (RFOG) technology for two-way communication with RF-enabled consumer devices.
The company says its Calix 725 ONT supports all of the current and emerging cable RF return path standards, including the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) standards 55-1 and 55-2 and CableLabs' DOCSIS and DOCSIS Set-top Gateway. Service providers can thus deploy the 725 ONT and ensure interoperability with their video headends and conditional access systems, Calix says.
According to Joey Anderson, COO at Muenster, TX-based Nortex Communications, "We looked at several alternatives for RF return over FTTP systems for leveraging our Motorola headend. We liked the Calix solution because it is standards-based, so we won't get locked into proprietary RF return solutions. The solution allows for interoperability between GPON OLTs and ONTs. When coupled with the proven leadership of Calix in GPON, we see this as the best overall solution in the industry today."
RFOG has emerged as the standards-based technology enabling support for widely used cable return path protocols over FTTP. At the subscriber premises, by incorporating RFOG technology into the 725 ONT, Calix asserts it has eliminated any additional packaging or powering requirements. This approach significantly simplifies craft training and installation time, the company adds. At the headend, service providers can use the same return path receivers commonly used in the cable industry, such as those from Motorola and Scientific Atlanta, a Cisco company.
According to David Russell, solutions marketing director at Calix, "Cable operators can deploy the 725 ONT and move to a fiber-based access network while leaving their subscriber infrastructure intact. Independent telcos who own cable systems and wish to begin deploying GPON can now enhance their product mix with powerful interactive services enabled through RF return, such as video on demand and pay-per-view."
Calix completed field testing of the 725 ONT during the second half of 2007 and says it has received production orders for the product from a wide range of service providers implementing RF return on FTTP systems. In GPON mode, the Calix 725 ONT interoperates with either the Calix C-Series multiservice access platform (MSAP) or the F-Series multiservice over GPON optical line terminals (OLTs), both of which are widely deployed in North American service provider networks.
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