NBN Co trials Infinera’s XR optics

May 13, 2021

The proof-of-concept exercise leveraged the nbn Transit Network, the operator’s more than 65,000-km fiber backbone network.

Stephen Hardy

Infinera (NASDAQ: INFN) says that NBN Co, which is responsible for Australia’s nationwide wholesale open-access broadband network, is the latest network operator to trail its coherent point-to-multipoint XR optics. The proof-of-concept exercise leveraged the nbn Transit Network, the operator’s more than 65,000-km fiber backbone network.

The network technology provider asserts the trial demonstrated the ability of XR optics to simplify transport network architecture and reduce capex and opex while supporting multiple applications. The demonstration was part of NBN Co’s ongoing assessment of technologies it might use to enable its transport network to support future demands.

“The nbn Transit Network is our national backbone, supporting the growing data needs of Australians as they rely more on broadband for their work, education, social, and entertainment needs. It is important that we keep track of new innovations to guide how we evolve our network to help meet changing needs in the future,” explained Ray Owen, CTO at NBN Co. “Working with Infinera helps us to understand the options and design our pathways accordingly.”

“This trial with NBN Co provides a proof point illustrating how Infinera’s digital subcarrier-powered XR optics can be seamlessly integrated into existing networks and successfully applied in a variety of network applications from backhaul networks to data center interconnect,” said Dave Welch, Infinera chief innovation officer and co-founder. “The XR optics trials Infinera has conducted continue to represent a radical shift in the way future networks can be built, promising a dramatic reduction in TCO, helping to set a new benchmark in scalability, and increasing service flexibility and velocity.”

Infinera previously had announced XR optics trials with BT, Virgin Media, and American Tower (see “BT models, lab trials Infinera’s XR optics” and “Virgin Media tests Infinera’s XR optics on PON infrastructure”).

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About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave

Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.

Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.

He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.

You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.