Infinera to offer ICE-XR optics coherent pluggable transceivers in 2022
The coherent pluggable transceivers will support both its XR optics point-to-multipoint technology and more conventional point-to-point transmission.
Stephen Hardy
May 20th, 2021
lightwaveonline.com
Infinera (NASDAQ: INFN) says they will offer a family of QSFP-28, QSFP-DD, and CFP2 coherent pluggable transceivers that will support both its XR optics point-to-multipoint technology and more conventional point-to-point transmission beginning next year. The family of devices, dubbed ICE-XR pluggables, will support 100G, 400G, and 800G transmission rates.
The devices will be software programmable to be able to support either point-to-point or point-to-multipoint operation. The latter XR optics configuration enables the transmission capacity of a hub transceiver to be distributed across multiple lower-speed modules at spoke locations (see “Infinera unveils XR optics single-source coherent point-to-multipoint transmission technology”). Infinera has touted the technology as an open initiative with an ecosystem that extends beyond its corporate campus (see, for example, "Infinera reveals II-VI, Lumentum as XR optics partners").
“We have been engaged with 100+ network operators globally and the feedback that we have received has surpassed anything I have seen in my 35+ years of experience in successfully bringing game-changing technologies to market,” said Dave Welch, founder and chief innovation officer at Infinera. “Leveraging the innovative capabilities of XR optics, ICE-XR will enable Infinera to create a completely new market with functionality that is uniquely positioned to address the point-to-multipoint traffic demands at the rapidly growing network edge and provide TCO savings of as much as 70%. Additionally, with Infinera’s deep vertical integration, ICE-XR will enable us to address the rapidly growing market for point-to-point pluggable coherent applications with a differentiated and cost-reduced solution.”
Infinera has announced trials of XR optics with BT, Virgin Media, NBN Co, and American Tower (see “BT models, lab trials Infinera’s XR optics” “Virgin Media tests Infinera’s XR optics on PON infrastructure,” and "NBN Co trials Infinera’s XR optics"). For related articles, visit the Optical Technologies Topic Center. |
