Acacia offers 100G coherent DWDM, bi-directional optical transceivers
Acacia Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACIA) has followed up its recent unveiling of a 100-Gbps coherent optical transceiver for point-to-point applications (see “Acacia unveils 100G coherent QSFP-DD optical transceivers for edge and access networks”) with a pair of other modules. The company now offers a 100G DWDM coherent transceiver for edge and access applications and a bidirectional module that targets fiber-limited networks. Both modules should appeal to cable MSOs, according to the company.
The DWDM optical module comes in a QSFP-DD form factor. Tom Williams, vice president of marketing at Acacia, says the DWDM optical transceiver should meet emerging aggregation and 10G upgrade requirements in such edge and access applications as 5G mobile fronthaul/midhaul/backhaul as well as the networks of cable operators, particularly as they move to Distributed Access Architectures.
“The edge of the network is evolving, and we’re bringing new solutions to market designed to provide scale and ease of use for new applications around IoT and edge computing,” commented Jörg-Peter Elbers, senior vice president of advanced technology at systems house ADVA, via an Acacia press release. “As service providers upgrade their access and aggregation infrastructure, it is only a matter of time before coherent technologies make inroads in this space. Acacia has been a leading provider of pluggable coherent optics and their latest innovation provides interesting possibilities.”
The bi-directional coherent 100G module targets applications where operators can’t afford to devote separate fibers to transmit and receive. Williams again pointed to cable network operators as a likely user of the optical transceiver, which comes in a CFP2-DCO package.
“Cignal AI recognized an opportunity for 100G coherent in the edge and access market back in 2018, and Acacia is the first to aggressively pursue it,” said Scott Wilkinson, lead analyst at Cignal AI, via a second press release. “The time is right for network operators, such as cable MSOs, to bring coherent technology to their fiber-constrained networks, where Acacia’s bi-directional module can help them increase capacity.”
Williams says Acacia has a roadmap toward 200G and 400G for all three of the new 100G coherent modules. However, he declined to discuss the timing for such upgraded devices, as 100G will meet market needs for now, he said.
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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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