Ciena announced it is extending the market reach of its WaveLogic coherent modem technology by making it available to a number of industry participants, with optical component companies Lumentum, NeoPhotonics and Oclaro to leverage WaveLogic technology to develop coherent optical modules for a range of applications.
Additionally, each of the companies will join an ecosystem that will focus on standards-based product development, designed to provide customer choice in the emerging 400 Gbit/s pluggable market, which is being driven by increasing data centre interconnect (DCI) requirements.
Ciena stated that while retaining its intellectual property rights, through the initiative it will provide its WaveLogic Ai chipset to Lumentum, NeoPhotonics and Oclaro. The partners will each be responsible for the manufacture, sale and distribution of Ciena-designed 5 x 7 coherent modules based on a combination of the WaveLogic technology and electro-optics components.
In addition, under the agreement the partner companies will contribute to the ongoing development of 400 Gbit/s pluggable technologies and the establishing of specifications for adoption by relevant industry forums and standards-setting bodies. Ciena intends to invest in further developing coherent DSP technology, which its partners will then be able to utilise in the development of 400 Gbit/s pluggable modem solutions for hardware and systems vendors.
Lumentum, NeoPhotonics and Oclaro will also support the creation of a roadmap for future generations of coherent optical modules based on Ciena’s WaveLogic technology.
Separately, Oclaro announced it has been selected by Ciena as a partner for the development of 400 Gbit/s coherent networks leveraging Ciena’s 56 Gbaud WaveLogic Ai coherent DSP chipset. The technology will be used to develop programmable modules supporting up to 400 Gbit/s rates.
Oclaro stated that it expects to sample its first 400 Gbit/s flex coherent transponders based on the WaveLogic Ai DSP chipset by the end of the year. The device will feature a single wavelength transmitter in a 5 x 7 inch form factor designed to support flexible bandwidth for 400, 300, 200 and 100 Gbit/s applications.
