JDSU debuts pump laser to support FTTH

OCTOBER 7, 2008 -- JDSU (search for JDSU) has announced the new 4900 Series pump laser, designed to provide twice the power, improved efficiency, and a package that is 70 percent smaller than previous offerings for deployment in fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) networks.

JDSU pump lasers power optical amplifiers that enable high-definition TV (HDTV), Internet, phone, and video-on-demand FTTH services between a service provider's central office and consumers' homes. The pump laser increases an optical amplifier's signal power so that it can split a signal to travel over multiple fibers and reach the maximum number of homes, helping to decrease signal-generation costs for network equipment manufacturers (NEMs) and service providers.

According to a Fiber-To-the-Home Council study released in September 2008, the annual growth rate for FTTH deployments in North America is 76 percent, the highest of any country or region in the world. The total number of North American subscribers that have chosen FTTH networks as their technology of choice for receiving high-bandwidth Internet and video services now stands at 3.76 million.

JDSU says its new 4900 Series product:

• doubles laser pump power from 4 W to 8 W, allowing NEMs and service providers to replace two pump lasers with a single pump laser within optical amplifiers for FTTH deployments
  
• is designed to improve pump laser efficiency by 20 percent, reducing customers' power and cooling requirements
  
• is 70 percent smaller in size than the previous pump laser platform, freeing data center real estate for customers
  
• is Based on JDSU's telecom-grade L4 diode laser platform that was released in December 2007.
  

"At JDSU, we have leveraged our innovative diode laser technology to create a much more powerful and efficient pump," said Toby Strite, marketing director of High Power Lasers in the Optical Communications business segment at JDSU. "With twice the power, our customers can service twice as many homes from the same amplifier, helping them to control costs as voice, video, and on-demand services continue to grow in popularity among consumers."

Visit JDSU

For more optical equipment design information, visit the Optical Equipment Design Center