Verizon selected the next-generation add/drop-multiplexer (NGADM) platforms from Fujitsu—the FLASHWAVE 4500 core transport system, FLASHWAVE 4300 aggregation system, and FLASHWAVE 4100 access system—for SONET services. Verizon will use the FLEXR GT craft interface software and NETSMART 1500 element management system to manage the Fujitsu FLASHWAVE 4000 product family. The selection is the culmination of the NGADM request-for-proposal process, which included lab testing and a field trial. Initial commercial shipments are beginning. The carrier is expected to order NGADM products from other suppliers as well.
As part of a move to evolve its SONET infrastructure to a next-generation multiservice provisioning platform (MSPP) designed to improve network efficiencies and better support new optical solutions, BellSouth (Atlanta) selected technologies from Cisco Systems (San Jose, CA) and Lucent Technologies (Murray Hill, NJ) that will deliver expanded service options to customers throughout its nine-state region. BellSouth will use the Lucent Metropolis DMX access multiplexer currently being deployed for use in interoffice networks and end-customer high-bandwidth ring applications. Later this year, it will be deployed for high-bandwidth loop applications. BellSouth will also deploy Cisco's ONS 15454 MSPP to deliver carrier-class functionality and reliability as well as operations-support-system interoperability.
VPIsystems (Holmdel, NJ), developer of photonic design automation software, will team with Cisco Systems (San Jose, CA) to provide optical-network configuration software to Cisco and its customers. The combination of optical equipment and optical-network configuration software will enable customers to generate realistic and deployable cost-effective network designs. Cisco will use VPI software to create cost-optimized network configurations for its optical products. Network configuration software captures the carrier's network requirements and detailed product specifications to automatically calculate a deployable optimized network design and create a list of required equipment.
The city of Mount Vernon, WA, and CSS Communications (Bellingham, WA), integrated communications provider (ICP), chose passive-optical-network equipment from Alloptic (Livermore, CA) to deliver data, voice, and video services to businesses and residents. CSS operates the city's fiber-optic network. Initially, the network will deliver high-speed data services, virtual LAN and virtual-private-network applications as well as T1 and traditional voice services. Ultimately, bandwidth may be resold to other service providers.
Futureway Communications (Markam, Ontario) will deploy the G6 Packet Telephony Migration Platform from General Bandwidth (Austin, TX) in support of packet voice services over the carrier's integrated voice and data "last mile" fiber network. The G6 platform has been integrated with Futureway's Fiber to the User (FTTU) network to offer multiple high-quality voice lines.
GlobalConnect, Danish alternative service provider, chose the System 1100 CWDM platform from Transmode Systems AB (Stockholm) for deployment in its network. GlobalConnect is offering value-added data transmission services to datacom and telecom companies in Denmark, Northern Germany, and Sweden. Transmode also received two contract awards in Switzerland through its reseller, Trigon AG.
The KPN EuroRings unit of KPN has deployed the Ciena (Linthicum, MD) ONLINE Metro platform in its network. The deployment enables KPN EuroRings to offer higher-value data services such as SAN, Escon, Fibre Channel, wavelength services, and Gigabit Ethernet to its expanding European customer base.
Broighter Networks, a high-speed broadband provider in Dublin, selected Atrica (Santa Clara, CA) as the exclusive supplier for its next-generation metro network. Broighter serves small, medium, and large enterprises, Internet service providers, mobile-phone operators, the public sector, and other carriers in Ireland. The carrier will use Atrica's Optical Ethernet System to roll out new services to its business customers beginning with initial deployments in the Dublin metro area.
Hunan Unicom, subsidiary of China Unicom, signed a contract with Lucent Technologies (Murray Hill, NJ) to build its provincial backbone transport network. Hunan Unicom will deploy a wide range of Lucent's SDH optical transport systems and network management systems. Lucent's LambdaUnite multiservice switches will be deployed to form the core of the network and will connect the 2.5-Gbit/sec rings throughout the province and the 10-Gbit/sec rings connected to data centers and long-haul switch centers. Lucent also won a contract from Beijing Communication Corp. (BCC), subsidiary of China Netcom, to build an optical network connecting Beijing's suburbs. Lucent will deploy a variety of systems and software products, including the Metropolis ADM MultiService Mux, WaveStar ADM16/1, Navis Optical Dynamic Network Analyzer, Navis Optical Network Management System, and WaveStar ITM-SC to construct 10-Gbit/sec optical rings.
NEC (Tokyo) is using gain-flattening-filter technology from HighWave Optical Technologies (Lannion, France) in its DWDM systems. HighWave has supplied filters based on its Randomized Chirped Bragg Grating technology, which the company says increases the signal-to-noise ratio on a cascaded amplifier line and extends the reach of DWDM systems. The filters already have been deployed in NEC's SpectralWave 160 platforms; device deliveries will continue the rest of this year.
Civcom (Reston, VA), developer of fast optical switches, and XLight Photonics (Tel Aviv), which makes widely tunable 10-Gbit/sec transponders, agreed to merge. As part of the merger agreement, the companies also announced an additional investment. They expect to pair their expertise to develop optoelectronic components and subsystems for applications that require the ability to be both fast and tunable.
GalayOr (Tel Aviv), provider of all-silicon optical SoC devices, has partnered with MEMSCAP (Grenoble, France), provider of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology and products, to market a new generation of optical devices, starting with an integrated closed loop digital variable optical attenuator (DVOA). The DVOA will be available for sampling at MEMSCAP starting in fourth quarter. The DVOA will first undergo a last R&D process at the MEMSCAP facility, where it will be produced, packaged, tested, and qualified using standard VLSI processes and packaging. Commercialization, managed by MEMSCAP, is expected to begin in high volume next year. ..
Next Level Communications (Rohnert Park, CA), a Motorola company, and Optical Solutions (Minneapolis), provider of fiber to the home (FTTH) PON equipment, will collaborate to produce an integrated, standards-based, end-to-end DSL and FTTH offering that will be available late this year. The companies assert that the new offering will provide telcos with plans to expand into FTTH with a convenient and cost-effective migration strategy from copper to fiber as well as a total FTTH strategy for greenfield, overbuild, or network refurbishment applications.