Alcatel-Lucent, Vodafone tout TWDM-PON field trial

July 24, 2015
Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) and Vodafone have partnered on a field trial of the systems house's Time and Wavelength Division Multiplexed Passive Optical Network (TWDM-PON) fiber-optic broadband technology. The activity is the first field trial of TWDM-PON in Europe, the testers assert.

Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) and Vodafone have partnered on a field trial of the systems house's Time and Wavelength Division Multiplexed Passive Optical Network (TWDM-PON) fiber-optic broadband technology. The activity is the first field trial of TWDM-PON in Europe, the testers assert.

The field trial follows successful completion of a lab trial of TWDM-PON in Vodafone's Vigo, Spain facilities. Vodafone assisted Alcatel-Lucent in the development of the technology, which the company announced last October (see "Alcatel-Lucent unveils TWDM-PON").

An Alcatel-Lucent source declined to provide further details of the field trial, including where it is taking place, how long it would run, and whether it would include residential and/or business service provision. However, a press release cited the benefits TWDM-PON might provide to Vodafone in both service areas. The technology also could be used in support of Vodafone's 4G mobile services roll out, the announcement pointed out, suggesting potential use as a mobile backhaul option.

"We have been engaged with Alcatel-Lucent for several years on TWDM-PON development, testing, and trial activities, and all of which have shown great results," said Gavin Young, head of Fixed Access, Vodafone Group, via the press release. "We look forward to conducting field trials of TWDM-PON technology in Europe."

TWDM-PON combines the ability to support multiple wavelengths (four, in Alcatel-Lucent's current offering) at 10 Gbps each. Some see the approach as superior to the single-wavelength 10-Gbps XG-PON for its ability to add further capacity via the multiple wavelengths. The multiple wavelengths also could prove useful in enabling operators to separate business and residential services while still delivering them over the same infrastructure, as well as for separating services from multiple operators who are sharing the same fiber-optic cable in an open access network.

For more information on FTTx equipment and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer's Guide.

About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher

Stephen Hardy has covered fiber optics for more than 15 years, and communications and technology for more than 30 years. He is responsible for establishing and executing Lightwave's editorial strategy across its digital magazine, website, newsletters, research and other information products. He has won multiple awards for his writing.

Contact Stephen to discuss:

  • Contributing editorial material to the Web site or digital magazine
  • The direction of a digital magazine issue, staff-written article, or event
  • Lightwave editorial attendance at industry events
  • Arranging a visit to Lightwave's offices
  • Coverage of announcements
  • General questions of an editorial nature

Sponsored Recommendations

Transforming the metro network and the evolution of the "Digital Service Provider"

March 4, 2025
Join experts at EXFO and Ekinops in this webinar that will review the evolving metro-centric requirements and the technologies emerging to meet them.

Unveiling the Synergy Between AI and Optical Networking

March 12, 2025
Join us for an engaging discussion with industry experts on the intersection of AI and optics. Moderated by Sean Buckley, editor-in-chief of Lightwave+BTR, this panel will explore...

Innovations Optical Transceivers

March 10, 2025
The continual movement around artificial intelligence (AI) cluster environments is driving new sales of optical transceiver sales and the adoption of linear pluggable optics (...

ON TOPIC: Filling Coverage Gaps, Enhancing Public Safety

Jan. 30, 2025
With the ongoing drive to support AI and the need for high-speed data center interconnection, the call for higher-speed 800G optical technology is emerging. Initially focused ...