OE Solutions confirmed that its 25Gbps and 10G transceivers are being deployed in the nation-wide roll-out of 5G in South Korea, where the three largest wireless network operators have committed to build nation-wide networks that will serve 80% of the population by the end of 2020. The nationwide rollout is expected to entail more than 1M optical transceivers of various types at a cost exceeding $400 million.
OE Solutions said the deployments include both 10Gbps and 25Gbps transceivers for the fronthaul connection utilizing a mix of CWDM and DWDM to maximize the utility of the existing fiber plant. OE Solutions, which is a major supplier of transceivers for both data rates, have been delivering more than 2,000 units of 25Gbps LWDM transceivers per week to support the rapid roll-out and plan to increase the capacity further.
Custom-grid WDM transceivers in the O-band, such as LWDM (utilizing the LAN wavelength grid), offer capital and time-to-market advantages by allowing coexistence of 5G with other services on the existing fiber plant.
“OE Solutions’ customer support and custom transceiver design capabilities are critical for KT to lead the way in with our nation-wide deployment of an economical 5G wireless network infrastructure”, said Mr. Lee, Director of Network Strategy at Korea Telecom, “Their focus on 25Gbps transceivers for wireless applications matches KT’s goal of offering state-of-the-art wireless services that can scale and satisfy the bandwidth requirements as 5G matures”.
“We are pleased to work very closely with the Korean network operators on the roll-out of their nation- wide 5G network”, said Walter Lee, Head of Product Management and Strategy of OE Solutions, and continued “OE Solutions has been deeply involved with previous generations of wireless deployments in Korea, which has honed our skills anbps d built the required expertise to meet the demanding requirements of the rapidly evolving wireless infrastructure.
