China Mobile leverages Microsemi DIGI OTN chip to enable Hitless Adjustment of ODUflex
Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP) says that China Mobile has conducted multi-vendor interoperability tests of 100-Gbps Optical Transport Network (OTN) technology with Hitless Adjustment of ODUflex (HAO) capabilities. The tests were enabled via a “benchmark solution” based on Microchip subsidiary Microsemi’s DIGI OTN processor family, the only commercial silicon that supports HAO, the company asserts. China Mobile plans to use the tested capabilities to launch bandwidth-on-demand leased-line services, Microchip adds.
HAO, defined in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) G.7044 standard, enables reconfigurable bandwidth capabilities in OTN infrastructures. Microsemi offers integrated HAO features through a released software development kit (SDK) for its DIGI-120G, DIGI-G4, and most recent DIGI-G5 OTN processors.
In the interop exercise, China Mobile leveraged the DIGI OTN processors to verify technology and software readiness among OTN systems from several vendors to support bandwidth-on-demand services at scale. "China Mobile has deployed bandwidth-on-demand capabilities in our new Government/Enterprise OTN network to benefit from all the advantages of flexible bandwidth and services," said Yunbo Li, project manager at China Mobile Research Institute. "We are the world's first carrier to specify HAO product interoperability requirements and test specifications and now, working with Microchip and our ecosystem of equipment providers, we are pleased to have completed a major step toward large-scale deploying this technology [sic] and paving the way for it to become part of our new production network operations."
"We applaud China Mobile as the world's first carrier to complete the necessary interoperability testing to begin a large-scale deployment of bandwidth-on-demand services enabled by flexible OTN switching networks," added Babak Samimi, vice president for Microchip's Communications business unit. "We are proud that our DIGI OTN processors played a pivotal role in proving the readiness of the industry ecosystem, and we believe the momentum behind this technology will now accelerate both in China and around the world, opening a new chapter for carriers to provide an innovative new class of services and new revenue streams tied to their enterprise customers' real-time business demands."
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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.
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