Xtera demonstrates 40 Terabit using Raman amplification

Feature: 100 Gig and Beyond. Part 2

• Xtera's Raman amplification boosts capacity and reach
• 40 Terabit optical transmission over 1,500km in Verizon trial
• 64 Terabit over 1,500km in 2015 using a Raman module operating over 100nm of spectrum  

Herve Fevrier

Optical transport equipment makers continue to research techniques to increase the data carried long distances over a fibre without sacrificing reach. The techniques include signal processing of the transmit signal to cram data-carrying channels closer in the C-band, advanced soft-decision forward error correction (SD-FEC) and receiver signal processing to counter transmission impairments.

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MultiPhy eyeing 400 Gig after completing funding round

MultiPhy is developing a next-generation chip design to support 100 and 400 Gigabit direct-detection optical transmission. The start-up raised a new round of funding in 2013 but has neither disclosed the amount raised nor the backers except to say it includes venture capitalists and a 'strategic investor'. 

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Intel on silicon photonics and its role in the data centre

In the next couple of years, you will see a massive adoption of silicon photonics into the data centers and into high-performance computing

Mario Paniccia, Intel 

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MACOM acquires Mindspeed to boost 100 Gig offerings

MACOM has acquired Mindspeed Technologies for $272 million, gaining two of the company's three divisions: high-performance analogue and communications processors. Intel has gained the third wireless infrastructure division of Mindspeed that includes 3G/ LTE infrastructure ICs and small-cell technology that Mindpseed gained with the acquisition of UK firm, Picochip, in 2012. 

Ray MoroneyThe Mindspeed acquisition increases the serviceable addressible market for MACOM, both geographical - the company will strengthen its presence in Asia Pacific - and by gaining new equipment vendor accounts. It also broadens MACOM's 100 Gigabit physical device portfolio.

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Books in 2013 - Part 2

Alcatel-Lucent's President of Bell Labs and CTO, Marcus Weldon, on the history and future of Bell Labs, and titles for Christmas; Steve Alexander, CTO of Ciena, on underdogs, connectedness, and deep-sea diving; and Dave Welch, President of Infinera on how people think, and an extraordinary WWII tale: the second part of Books 2013.  

Steve Alexander, CTO of Ciena

David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell. 

I’ve enjoyed some of Gladwell’s earlier works such as The Tipping Point and Outliers: The Story of Success. You often have to read his material with a bit of a skeptic's eye since he usually deals with people and events that are at least a standard deviation or two away from whatever is usually termed “normal.”

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First silicon photonics devices from STMicro in 2014

STMicroelectronics expects to have first silicon photonics products by mid-2014. The chip company announced the licensing of silicon photonics technology from Luxtera in March 2012. Since then STMicro has been developing its 300mm (12-inch) CMOS wafer manufacturing line for silicon photonics at its fab at Crolles, France.

Flavio Benetti, STMicroelectronics

"We think we are the only ones doing the processing in a 12-inch line," says Flavio Benetti, general manager of  mixed processes division at STMicroelectronics.

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Compass-EOS raises $42M

Compass-EOS has raised $42 million in investment. The Israeli start-up launched its r10004 IP core router in March and has so far announced two customers: NTT Communications and the China Education and Research Network, CERNET. The company says it has a second tier-one operator yet to be announced.

Asaf Somekh with the icPhotonics chip

"Both global operators have purchased routers on several occasions for several types of deployments," says Asaf Somekh, vice president of marketing at Compass-EOS. “There are also a couple more smaller operators that we cannot disclose at this stage." The company is  involved in several trials in the US, Japan and EMEA.

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