May 30, 2006 Santa Clara, CA -- Novera Optics today announced the release of SpeedLIGHT, a new transport platform for fiber-to-the-x (FTTx) deployments, which leverages DWDM technology to increase the amount of bandwidth service providers can deliver to their customers.
Novera Optics says that by using its λ-PON (Lambda-PON) DWDM FTTx technology, the SpeedLIGHT transport platform can eliminate the need for wavelength-specific optical network units (ONUs) and does away with the problems of bandwidth sharing, bandwidth upgrades, and mixed-service delivery on a PON.
The DWDM technology will enable SpeedLIGHT systems and modules to support a wide range of differentiated, dedicated, point-to-point connectivity services by providing an easy upgrade path, symmetrical downstream and upstream bandwidth, and multiprotocol transparency to allow any protocol and any data rate to be carried over the same fiber infrastructure, the company claims.
Service providers can automatically allocate a separate pair of wavelengths to each broadband subscriber, which enables 125 Mbits/sec or more of dedicated bandwidth to be delivered per subscriber or ONU. The use of this automatic wavelength-locking technology and colorless DWDM ONU transceivers simplifies inventory management for carriers and enables plug-and-play flexibility in the field, Novera Optics suggests.
Security is said to improve as well. With traditional PONs, encryption is required because each ONU receives the same shared signal due to the power splitter in the signal path. By contrast, SpeedLIGHT provides a dedicated optical point-to-point connection between the subscriber and the central office, so unwanted information sharing is eliminated.
"Sharing bandwidth is a huge issue in traditional PONs, as they inherently limit applications on the edge of the customer premises," said Bernd Hesse, vice president of marketing and business development at Novera Optics. "With the rapid growth in services from VoIP to multiplayer gaming to video streaming, the only transport platform that makes sense as a future-proof investment is one that combines simplicity, security, scalability, and the versatility to deliver any service at any time. This is exactly what SpeedLIGHT products and our λ-PON technology deliver today."
Novera Optics' SpeedLIGHT products are being offered in both modular form, for integration by system vendors, and in complete system form for plug-and-play use by telecom carriers deploying FTTx broadband access technologies.
Within the SpeedLIGHT product family, Novera Optics offers two versions. SpeedLIGHT16 provides 16 point-to-point bidirectional optical links, with each link operating at a dedicated and symmetric 125-Mbits/sec, which enables a total of 2 Gbits/sec of bidirectional throughput along a single feeder fiber. SpeedLIGHT32 provides 32 point-to-point bidirectional optical links through a single feeder fiber for a total of 4 Gbits/sec symmetrical. The SpeedLIGHT32 modules have already been commercially deployed for FTTH applications by LG Nortel in the Korea Telecom Network.
Novera Optics also expects its SpeedLIGHT products will be used to complement existing networks as a feeder for Fast Ethernet, DSLAMs, wireless access, and FTTB/FTTC infrastructure. They can also be used as standalone optical access systems to provide dedicated 125-Mbit/sec fiber access to individual customers.