October 27, 2004 Richardson, TX -- Fujitsu Network Communications Inc. today announced the introduction of its FLASHWAVE 7500 Small System for small- to medium-sized Multiple System Operator (MSO) and telecom network convergence. The system combines DWDM; a reconfigurable add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) switch fabric; and multi-rate, high-density optical line cards (OLCs) for services up to 10 Gbits/sec per wavelength in a single 19-in shelf.
"With the FLASHWAVE 7500 Small System, service providers can jump start their metro DWDM networks with a single, low cost shelf," asserts Doug Saylor, senior vice president of marketing for Fujitsu Network Communications. "The ROADM switching and advanced transport capabilities of this system allow service providers to eliminate standalone switching elements and reduce network complexity. ROADM switching, automatic power balancing, tunable narrowband optic,s and advanced amplification capabilities provide the flexibility to add/drop or pass traffic though on a wavelength-by-wavelength basis at any node, allowing easy modifications as service patterns change," he adds.
The ROADM switch fabric within the system maximizes the flexibility of converged multi-service networks and provides many of the same comprehensive switching benefits as the larger, 40-channel FLASHWAVE 7500 Core System, including access to single or multiple wavelengths at any node. The ROADM capabilities of the FLASHWAVE 7500 Small System give service providers any-wavelength-at-any-node reconfigurability with zero service interruption, which simplifies the process of making changes to their networks without stranding switching capacity or network bandwidth. For low cost or point-to-point applications where the ROADM switch fabric capabilities are not required, the FLASHWAVE 7500 Small System can be configured as a flexible optical add/drop multiplexer (OADM) with manual access to all wavelengths.
With the addition of this new system, the FLASHWAVE 7500 metro DWDM portfolio now comprises three configurations to allow service providers to develop customized solutions that are optimized for a particular application or network configuration. A variety of optical protection options--supporting simple, unprotected services to fully protected services for mission-critical applications--can be provisioned easily via the NETSMART 500 craft user interface or NETSMART 1500 Element Management System (EMS) software. Familiar operational features minimize engineering, sparing, and administration costs for DWDM networks:
• The FLASHWAVE 7500 Core System is an all-optical ROADM designed for large metropolitan networks that require up to 40 wavelengths of 10-Gbit/sec capacity per wavelength to satisfy existing traffic demands and provide plenty of capacity for future network growth.
• The FLASHWAVE 7500 Small System is an ideal choice for smaller networks where ROADM switching of up to 16 wavelengths is required. The FLASHWAVE 7500 Small System is a low cost way for carriers in small- to medium-sized cities to converge existing networks, while offering the scalability to create larger networks of up to 32 wavelengths in the future.
• The FLASHWAVE 7500 Extension System provides a compact and lowest cost solution for delivering the benefits of DWDM transport to the edge of large networks. As a standalone platform or extension from a larger FLASHWAVE 7500 ROADM network, the system can be cost justified with as few as one or two wavelengths.
Each system shares a common set of OLCs to minimize the overall unit menu while offering support for an array of services, including Gigabit Ethernet, traditional SONET, Storage Area Networking (SAN), Video On Demand (VOD), and transparent wavelength services. Further reductions in OPEX are achieved by implementing new, full C-band (40-wavelength) tunable narrowband optics and Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP)-based interfaces, which allow all ITU-T wavelengths and client connection distances for a particular service to be supported by a single OLC. Muxponders allow up to four OC-48/STM-16 connections or eight Gigabit Ethernet connections to be multiplexed onto a single wavelength at 10 Gbits/sec.