OFC/NFOEC 2013: Technical paper highlights
Source: The Optical Society
Network evolution strategies, state-of-the-art optical deployments, next-generation PON and data centre interconnect are just some of the technical paper highlights of the upcoming OFC/NFOEC conference and exhibition, to be held in Anaheim, California from March 17-21, 2013. Here is a selection of the papers.
Optical network applications and services
Fujitsu and AT&T Labs-Research (Paper Number: 1551236) present simulation results of shared mesh restoration in a backbone network. The simulation uses up to 27 percent fewer regenerators than dedicated protection while increasing capacity by some 40 percent.
KDDI R&D Laboratories and the Centre Tecnològic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya (CTTC), Spain (Paper Number: 1553225) show results of an OpenFlow/stateless PCE integrated control plane that uses protocol extensions to enable end-to-end path provisioning and lightpath restoration in a transparent wavelength switched optical network (WSON).
In invited papers, Juniper highlights the benefits of multi-layer packet-optical transport, IBM discusses future high-performance computers and optical networking, while Verizon addresses multi-tenant data centre and cloud networking evolution.
Network technologies and applications
A paper by NEC (Paper Number: 1551818) highlights 400 Gigabit transmission using four parallel 100 Gigabit subcarriers over 3,600km. Using optical Nyquist shaping each carrier occupies 37.5GHz for a total bandwidth of 150GHz.
In an invited paper Andrea Bianco of the Politecnico de Torino, Italy details energy awareness in the design of optical core networks, while Verizon's Roman Egorov discusses next-generation ROADM architecture and design.
FTTx technologies, deployment and applications
In invited papers, operators share their analysis and experiences regarding optical access. Ralf Hülsermann of Deutsche Telekom evaluates the cost and performance of WDM-based access networks, while France Telecom's Philippe Chanclou shares the lessons learnt regarding its PON deployments and details its next steps.
Optical devices for switching, filtering and interconnects
In invited papers, MIT's Vladimir Stojanovic discusses chip and board scale integrated photonic networks for next-generation computers. Alcatel-Lucent's Bell Labs' Nicholas Fontaine gives an update on devices and components for space-division multiplexing in few-mode fibres, while Acacia's Long Chen discusses silicon photonic integrated circuits for WDM and optical switches.
Optoelectronic devices
Teraxion and McGill University (Paper Number: 1549579) detail a compact (6mmx8mm) silicon photonics-based coherent receiver. Using PM-QPSK modulation at 28 Gbaud, up to 4,800 km is achieved.
Meanwhile, Intel and the UC-Santa Barbara (Paper Number: 1552462) discuss a hybrid silicon DFB laser array emitting over 200nm integrated with EAMs (3dB bandwidth> 30GHz). Four bandgaps spread over greater than 100nm are realised using quantum well intermixing.
Transmission subsystems and network elements
In invited Papers, David Plant of McGill University compares OFDM and Nyquist WDM, while AT&T's Sheryl Woodward addresses ROADM options in optical networks and whether to use a flexible grid or not.
Core networks
Orange Labs' Jean-Luc Auge asks whether flexible transponders can be used to reduce margins. In other invited papers, Rudiger Kunze of Deutsche Telekom details the operator's standardisation activities to achieve 100 Gig interoperability for metro applications, while Jeffrey He of Huawei discusses the impact of cloud, data centres and IT on transport networks.
Access networks
Roberto Gaudino of the Politecnico di Torino discusses the advantages of coherent detection in reflective PONs. In other invited papers, Hiroaki Mukai of Mitsubishi Electric details an energy efficient 10G-EPON system, Ronald Heron of Alcatel-Lucent Canada gives an update on FSAN's NG-PON2 while Norbert Keil of the Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz Institute highlights progress in polymer-based components for next-generation PON.
Optical interconnection networks for datacom and computercom
Use of orthogonal multipulse modulation for 64 Gigabit Fibre Channel is detailed by Avago Technologies and the University of Cambridge (Paper Number: 1551341).
IBM T.J. Watson (Paper Number: 1551747) has a paper on a 35Gbps VCSEL-based optical link using 32nm SOI CMOS circuits. IBM is claiming record optical link power efficiencies of 1pJ/b at 25Gb/s and 2.7pJ/b at 35Gbps.
Several companies detail activities for the data centre in the invited papers.
Oracle's Ola Torudbakken has a paper on a 50Tbps optically-cabled Infiniband data centre switch, HP's Mike Schlansker discusses configurable optical interconnects for scalable data centres, Fujitsu's Jun Matsui details a high-bandwidth optical interconnection for an densely integrated server while Brad Booth of Dell also looks at optical interconnect for volume servers.
In other papers, Mike Bennett of Lawrence Berkeley National Lab looks at network energy efficiency issues in the data centre. Lastly, Cisco's Erol Roberts addresses data centre architecture evolution and the role of optical interconnect.
ZTE takes PON optical line terminal lead
ZTE shipped 1.8 million passive optical network (PON) optical line terminals (OLTs) in 2011 to become the leading supplier with 41 percent of the global market, according to Ovum.
"ZTE is co-operating with some Tier 1 operators in Europe and the US for 10GEPON and XGPON1 testing"
Song Shi Jie, ZTE
The market research firm also ranks the Chinese equipment maker as the second largest supplier of PON optical network terminals (ONT), with 28 per cent global market share in 2011.
China now accounts for over half the total fibre-to-the-x (FTTx) deployments worldwide. ZTE says 1.05 million of its OLTs were deploy in China, with 70 percent for the EPON standard and the rest GPON. Overall EPON accounts for 85% of deployments in China. However GPON deployments are growing and ZTE expects the technology to gain market share in China.
There are some 300 million broadband users in China, made up of DSL, fibre-to-the-building (FTTB) and -curb (FTTC), says Song Shi Jie, director of fixed network product line at ZTE.
Of the three main operators, China Telecom is the largest. It is deploying FTTB and is moving to fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) deployments using GPON. China Unicom has a similar strategy. China Mobile is focussed on FTTB and LAN technology; because it is a mobile operator and has no copper line assets it uses LAN cabling for networking within the building.
The split ratio - the number of PON ONTs connected to each OLT - varies depending on the deployment. "In the fibre-to-the-building scenario, the typical ratio is 1:8 or 1:16; for fibre-to-the-home the typical ratio is 1:64," says Song.
ZTE has also deployed 200,000 10 Gigabit EPON (10GEPON) lines in China but none elsewhere, either 10GEPON or XGPON1 (10 Gigabit GPON). "ZTE is co-operating with some Tier 1 operators in Europe and the US for 10GEPON and XGPON1 testing," says Song.
Song attributes ZTE's success to such factors as reduced power consumption of its PON systems and its strong R&D in access.
The vendor says its PON platforms consume a quarter less power than the industry average. Its systems use such techniques as shutting down those OLT ports that are not connected to ONTs. It also employs port idle and sleep modes to save power when there is no traffic. Meanwhile, ZTE has 3,000 engineers engaged in fixed access product R&D.
As for the next-generation NGPON2 being development by industry body FSAN, Song says there are a variety of technologies being proposed but that the picture is still unclear.
ZTE is focussing on three main next-generation PON technologies: wavelength division multiplexing PON (WDM-PON), hybrid time division multiplexing (TDM)/ WDM-PON (or TWDM-PON) and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) PON. "We think OFDM PON can provide high security, high bandwidth and easy network maintenance," says Song.
ZTE says that the NGPON2 standard will be mature in 2015 but that commercial deployments will only start in 2018.