STL (NSE: STLTECH) used the recent India Mobile Congress 2022 to launch the Multiverse line of multicore fiber and cable. The company expects to pair the fiber cable with space-division multiplexing (SDM) transmission technology to provide a 4X capacity improvement per fiber, within the same diameter, for applications such as data centers, 5G networks, and quantum communications.
In this last scenario, STL believes use of the Multiverse multicore fiber can enable the co-existence of quantum communication and telecommunication channels. In response to Lightwave questions, Dr. Badri Gomatam, CTO of STL, wrote via email that the new fiber technology also should benefit use cases such as fiber densification in access networks, large data centers, and terrestrial transport networks.
“Our technology is compatible with current and emerging telecommunications standards. We envision our breakthrough innovations in both the glass technology as well as high-count cabling production to significantly impact the cost of deploying space-division multiplexing,” Gomatam added.
Gomatam said that STL is contemplating cabling with a variety of fiber counts, from 288 to 6912 fibers. In a response to a question about the timing of microcore-enabled cable availability, he wrote that “Our launch of the Multiverse platform at the India Mobile Congress 2022 was extremely well received. We are working closely with our customers and partners at this time as we speak.”
In addition to making fiber and cable, STL also has a systems division; asked if the company also plans to offer SDM transmission technology, Gomatam responded, “We are working very closely with the ecosystem to offer a full solution to the market.”
As the name implies, multicore fiber has more than one transmission core per fiber, and therefore offers the potential of increasing per-fiber transmission capacity by supporting multiple transmissions in the same fiber. The technology is being looked at closely in submarine networks, where SDM is already accepted (see, for example, "Transmission benefits of multicore fiber in submarine cables to be discussed at OFC 2022").
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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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