Optical Zonu targets RF-over-fiber ‘relief’ program at aerospace and defense markets

June 15, 2023

EMCORE’s decision this past April to shut down its defense optoelectronics product line has provided a market opportunity, Optical Zonu believes.

Stephen Hardy

Optical Zonu Corp. has launched what it calls an “EMCORE Customer Relief Program” in hopes of capturing new customers for the company’s RF over fiber (RFoF) transport products. EMCORE’s decision this past April to shut down its defense optoelectronics product line has provided a market opportunity, Optical Zonu believes.

Optical Zonu supplies a wide range of RFoF transport systems, subsystems, modules, and components. Such products apply to a variety of applications within the military and aerospace markets. For example, they can support RF signal transport for antenna remoting on military aircraft and ships, enable secure satellite phone connections and sensitive compartmented information facilities (SCIFs), as well as transport GPS timing.

“Fiber-optic transport plays a critical role in defense and aerospace, and these communication systems are continuously upgraded, routinely managed and improved to meet changing and often arduous environments,” commented Meir Bartur, co-founder and CEO of Optical Zonu. “We developed the EMCORE Customer Relief Program to aid organizations facing this issue in the wake of EMCORE sunsetting their broadband business.”

The relief program comprises several facets:

Identification of suitable replacement products in less than two hours
Technical support from Optical Zonu team members with more than 10 years of EMCORE equipment training
Free technician training and certification at Optical Zonu headquarters in Van Nuys, CA.
Delivery of replacement RFoF transport systems with the company’s patented small pluggable transceivers with built-in OTDR capabilities (an longstanding Optical Zonu calling card; see, for example, “Optical Zonu launches SFP transceiver with integrated OTDR”).
Support of frequency ranges from a few kilohertz to 70 GHz and distances greater than 50 km with Ethernet and simple network management protocol (SNMP).
Available on-site installation and support.

For related articles, visit the Network Design Topic Center.

For more information on high-speed transmission systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.

To stay abreast of fiber network deployments, subscribe to Lightwave’s Service Providers and Datacom/Data Center newsletters.

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.