Fujitsu unveils 100-Gbps plans

Fujitsu Network Communications today announced that it plans to make 100-Gbps capabilities generally available on its FLASHWAVE 9500 Packet Optical Networking Platforms in the fourth quarter of this year.

The new capabilities will support both 10x10-Gbps muxponder and straight 100-Gbps transponder applications, according to Fujitsu Network Communications’ WDM & 100G Product Planner Randy Eisenach. Eisenach told Lightwave last Friday that the company will use dual-polarization quadrature phase-shift keying (DP-QPSK) transponders with coherent detection based on the OIF’s multisource agreement in its implementations. The transponders leverage optical components developed by Fujitsu Optical Components as well as analog-to-digital converters from Fujitsu Semiconductor Europe; the former will deliver the transponder package, Eisenach said.

The company also plans to have a second source for the transponder, Eisenach revealed. The transponder will use soft-decision forward error correction (FEC), but also will support Reed-Solomon FEC for OTN applications.

On the line side, Eisenach says he expects to support 100GBase-LR4 and -SR10 interfaces.

While the line cards will integrate into the FLASHWAVE 9500 Packet Optical Networking Platform, the company will offer a 9500 tributary shelf that can interface with the FLASHWAVE 7500 to bring 100-Gbps capabilities to networks using that platform.

At least one analyst sees the capability making an impact. “With Fujitsu’s existing relationships and embedded customer base with large operators, they have a clear opportunity to attack,” said Ron Kline, principal analyst, network infrastructure, at market research firm Ovum. “Our research shows service providers will ramp up their 100G roll out significantly over the next several years and Fujitsu is well positioned to take advantage of this trend.”

Eisenach says that Fujitsu Network Communications has customer trials scheduled for this summer. He expects interest in the 100-Gbps capabilities from cable operators and research and education network operators as well as telecom carriers.

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