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We’ve talked about 100 Gigabit Ethernet deployments in the data center long enough – when is it going to happen and which module MSAs will see the most volume? Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy polled several experts at ECOC 2015 in Valencia, Spain, and has the answers in this exclusive podcast.   Sponsored by Source Photonics.

Optical transmission in the data center and for data center interconnect was a major them at ECOC 2015. Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy captures the varying viewpoints on what will be hot – and what won't – for these applications based on interviews conducted with market analysts and technology developers at the show. Sponsored by Oclaro.

Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy reviews his picks for the most significant announcements and trends surrounding 100-Gbps technology at ECOC 2014. He covers both line side, where significant advancements were made in coherent transmission via new pluggable optical transceivers and the supporting semiconductors, and client side, where single-lambda 100 Gigabit Ethernet was a main topic of conversation.

Daryl Inniss, vice president of Ovum’s components practice, offers his opinions on the market for coherent CFP and CFP2 modules, the merchant DSP chips that may power them, when and if interoperability will become necessary, and the demand for 200G capabilities, among other topics.

Finisar is touting 50-Gbps technology as a building block toward 100G and above in the data center. Vice President of Marketing Rafik Ward describes for Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy a 50G demo that leverages components based on silicon photonics. He compares this approach with the high-speed VCSEL technology demonstrated at OFC, and gives a brief update on the company’s efforts in coherent transmission.

Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy sits down with Andrew Schmitt, Principal Analyst, Carrier Transport Networking for Infonetics Research to discuss the results of a new survey of carriers regarding the 100G metro market. Find out why the results surprised him and what it means for vendor strategy.  

Oclaro is demonstrating new 100G transceiver technology for both line side and client side applications. New Oclaro Chief Commercial Officer Adam Carter reviews the new coherent CFP2 for 200G applications as well as the current proliferation of 100G MSAs for data center applications.

There was a lot related to 100-Gbps discussed at OFC 2014 in San Francisco, and Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy summarizes the highlights in this final podcast in our series. Topics include pluggable coherent CFP and CFP2 modules for the line side, new DSPs for such applications, and other enabling technologies, such as integrated coherent transmitters and integrated coherent transceivers. The client side gets its due as well, with a look at the advent of CFP4 modules and action within the QSFP28 form factor. Emerging optical transceiver MSAs for data center applications of around 1-2 km also are covered.

Pluggable coherent 100G modules are a significant topic of conversation here at OFC 2014. But what are the prospects for their adoption? Vladimir Kozlov, founder and CEO of market research firm LightCounting, discusses his company’s market figures for coherent 100G for 2013, his expectations for 2014 and beyond, and how large a portion of port market share modules might fill.

Lightwave Editorial Director and Associate Publisher Stephen Hardy talks with Avi Shabtai, CEO of MultiPhy, the leading provider of silicon that supports 100-Gbps transmission using direct detection, rather than coherent detection. Shabtai offers his viewpoints on who the demand for 100G direct detect has evolved, whether the advent of metro-focused coherent 100G pluggable transceivers will threaten the market for direct-detect options, and whether there’s a future for direct detect at speeds greater than 100G.

Alcatel-Lucent is focusing on “Moving Metro Forward” at OFC 2014. Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy speaks with Alcatel-Lucent IP Transport Marketing Leader Kevin Drury about what this means in the context of 100-Gbps transmission. Along the way, Kevin discusses strategies for reducing the cost of 100G for metro applications, whether Alcatel-Lucent would ever be interested in a pluggable coherent transceiver, and what the prospects for 200G and 400G in the metro might be.

Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy interviews Ron Kline, principal analyst, network infrastructure at Ovum, about 100G’s market traction in 2013 and his expectations for 2014. Ron offers his opinions on the opportunity for 100G in the metro, as well as for the prospects for 200G and 400G.

Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy quizzes John Calvin, BERT portfolio manager at Tektronix, about the challenges technology developers are likely to face working in applications with data rates ranging from 25G to 28G. The three primary applications are the OIF CEI interfaces, InfiniBand, and IEEE 802.3bj. While they have aspects in common, each application also presents unique challenges that must be addressed.

Jimmy Gagnon, product specialist at EXFO Inc., discusses the latest trends in FTTx test and measurement with Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy. Topics include developing requirements within FTTx test, the evolution of FTTx test instruments, and strategies for lowing FTTx test costs.

Sujan Sami, Measurement & Instrumentation Program manager for market research firm Frost & Sullivan, talks to Lightwave’s Editorial Director Stephen Hardy about the major trends in fiber-optic test and measurement equipment. He estimates the size of the fiber-optic test and measurement market and discusses the major trends in the optical network test space. These include the influence of coherent transmission as well as increased data rates in carrier and enterprise/data center fiber-optic networks. He also offers his expectations for consolidation in the fiber-optic test and measurement space.

With high-speed optical transceivers evolving quickly into smaller form factors with different requirements, test and measurement tools and procedures must keep pace. Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy met with Dr. Paul Brooks of JDSU’s Network and Services Enablement Group at ECOC 2013 recently to discuss the evolution from CFP to CFP2, what the test requirements of CFP4 might be, and what the future holds for transceivers designed to support eventual 400 Gigabit Ethernet specifications.

Lightwave Editorial Director and Associate Publisher Stephen Hardy provides an overview of the announcements and discussions of 100G at the ExCeL in London that he found most significant. On the line side, Stephen covers pluggable coherent transmission technology for 100 Gbps in the metro, advancements in coherent DSPs, coherent CFP2 design conundrums, what to make of direct detect, and more. Client side advancements cover smaller modules and more powerful chip technology. The podcast finishes with 100G-related test announcements.

The OIF’s latest interoperability demo at ECOC 2013 indicates that CEI-28G-VSR and CEI-25G-LR are ready for prime time. Ed Frlan, senior system architect at Semtech, represented OIF at the show and describes to Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy what went on and what it means to the industry.

Communications electronics supplier Inphi has made a name for itself in the world of high-speed communications and participated in the OIF’s interoperability demonstration at ECOC 2013. Vice President of Marketing, High Speed Connectivity Products Siddarth Sheth describes the company’s part in the demonstration, offers predictions for electronics integration, and discusses the prospects for a next-generation short-reach 100 Gigabit Ethernet specification.

Lightwave Editorial Director Stephen Hardy visits with Finisar’s Vice President of Marketing Rafik Ward to discuss the CFP4 transceiver on display at the company’s ECOC stand. Also on the docket are the 25-Gbps VCSEL technology used in the demonstrated CFP4, the demand for CFP2, and what kind of demand has emerged for Finisar’s 4x28G direct-detect metro transceiver.