The world's first commercialisation of 1400nm equipment is to use the new "WideWav" 16-channel coarse wave division multiplexing (CWDM) technology of multi-service, metro network platform supplier LuxN running over the zero-water-peak AllWave fibre of OFS (see page 29).

LuxN says this doubles CWDM system capacity and cuts cost for high-channel WDM systems in cost-sensitive metro access.

Single-mode component supplier Luminent is providing eight wavelengths to LuxN's CWDM, but claims it is the first to support all 16 full spectrum CWDM wavelengths (1310-1610nm), for both active lasers and passive filtering technology.

"CWDM is increasingly recognised as an important means for lowering the costs of WDM deployments, requiring low capital outlays while supporting standard revenue streams," says LuxN's director of product marketing John Drissel. The new solution "eliminates the previous trade-off between low cost and high scalability, allowing WDM transmission over the range 1310-1610nm."

Fully standardised in ITU as a G.652c zero-water-peak fibre, OFS claims that AllWave fibre offers 100nm more usable spectrum than conventional (G.652) single-mode fibre - with which it is compatible, allowing incremental upgrades - and can increase network capacity by up to 50% while cutting application costs by up to 40%.