Calix expands 10G PON capabilities of AXOS and EXOS, hints at NG-PON2 customers
Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX), as part of its everyPON strategy, has added more 10G PON capabilities to its AXOS and EXOS platforms. The new offerings, all of which are shipping, include an NG-PON2 optical network terminal against a backdrop of NG-PON2 platform shipments to service providers other than Verizon, according to a Calix source.
The new units cover XGS-PON and NG-PON2. The E3-2 XGS-PON module enables XGS-PON service support via any AXOS platform. Meanwhile, the GigaProX business ONU enables XGS-PON based business services support from EXOS platforms. The two units are enabling elements of the company’s everyPON strategy, in which services providers can use AXOS and EXOS platforms to support multiple PON types via common operating procedures. The approach aims to enable operators to use the optimal PON technology for their requirements as well as enable a smooth migration from one PON technology to another. The strategy complements the use of the company’s Calix Cloud suite, including Calix Marketing Cloud; the latter can help service providers identify when and where it might be appropriate to step up to a higher-speed PON architecture, according to Shane Eleniak, senior vice president of platforms for Calix.
Such higher-speed architectures could include NG-PON2. Calix, simultaneously with the XGS-PON technology unveilings, also announced the GP1200NG NG-PON2 ONU. Eleniak says this isn’t the ONU the company is supplying to Verizon (see “Verizon to deploy Calix AXOS E9-2 this quarter as part of NG-PON2 rollout”); it's one “for everyone else.” He said Calix has shipped the GP1200NG to multiple operators for pilot trials of NG-PON2 both in the U.S. and Europe. Generally, these customers are interested in NG-PON2 in support of converged network applications, Eleniak added.
The new units arrive as interest in 10G PON is growing. “Service providers are already facing ever-increasing bandwidth demand from their subscribers, and upcoming applications such as 5G and cloud-based gaming and streaming platforms, are going to increase demand further,” commented Julie Kunstler, principal analyst, network infrastructure and software for Ovum, via a Calix press release. “They recognize the need to move to 10G and beyond, but that migration comes at a cost and one size does not fit every subscriber—especially over time. Service providers must have visibility and analytics to monitor and meet the evolving behaviors and usage patterns of their subscribers. They must meet these requirements without costly network changes. Calix’s EXOS and AXOS provide a comprehensive set of solutions, enabling service providers to support changing and increasing bandwidth patterns, meeting quality of experience expectations while achieving network future proofing.”
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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.
You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.