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Simplifying the
network passively
Francis Nedvidek, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cube Optics and Sven Krüger head
of marketing and sales to Carriers and Network Operators discuss the advantages of
the company's Simplified, passive WDM access networks
Dr. Francis Nedvidek,
CEO
Francis Nedvidek, the
company 's Chief
Executive Officer (CEO),
oversees all marketing,
sales and business
development activities.
His career progression
boasts over two decades of experience spanning
technology innovation, product and market
development and general management roles. Prior to
joining CUBO, Dr. Nedvidek held senior positions
with corporations in Canada, the USA and Europe
including the Raytheon subsidiary ELCAN Optical
Technologies, Leica, Black & Decker, the Electrical
Division of von Roll ISOLA and the SOMOS Consulting
Group. Dr. Nedvidek holds a Ph.D. in Laser Physics
and M.E.Sc. and B.E.Sc. degrees in Electrical and
Electronic Engineering. Dr. Nedvidek also holds a P.
Eng. Designation.
Sven Krüger, Director
Marketing & Carrier
Sales
Sven Krüger is
responsible for marketing
and sales to Carriers and
Network Operators at
CUBO. Before joining
Cube Optics as a
member of the founding team, he worked as a
technology consultant for the IRC of the European
Commission, and prior to that at the Institute for
Microtechnology Mainz in research and development of
integrated optical components. He holds a Master
degree in Physics.
Q: How do you simplify passive WDM access
networks?
A: We see a shift from managed active WDM
system solutions towards un-managed passive
solutions. Passive WDM relies on standard SFP or
GBIC CWDM transceiver which are directly plugged
into switches, routers and DSLAMs and are then
multiplexed with passive modules onto fibre. The
approach is far simpler than proprietary solutions
comprising SFP / GBIC transceivers with the
multiplex/demultiplex functions integrated into a
system providing many other features such as
media conversion, additional O-E-O conversion,
QoS monitoring and environmental alarms and
network management.
Q: There are other options, why have you gone for
the use of standard CWDM pluggable transceivers
(like GBIC or SFP) in combination with a passive
WDM system?
A: Because this is the simplest set-up to achieve
the goal of increasing network capacity. It is not
only simple but also highly effective: installation
can be accomplished literally in minutes; CAPEX is
very modest; no additional power or software is
needed making OPEX practically zero; but,
transport capacity and network architecture
options remain unrestricted.
Why complicate things by bringing in more
expensive active solutions adding additional
overhead and proprietary operating systems? Even
the need to convert between non-standard CWDM
grids to the ITU CWDM standard disappears. The
CWDM function is transparent and completely
compatible and interoperable with whatever is
connected upstream or downstream.
Q: Does this approach provide sufficient options
and flexibility in the architecture?
A: According to our experience and the opinions of
leading competitive Carriers, YES! It is a very
flexible metro access network solution in terms of:
transport bandwidth - up 18 times at 4.25Gb/s;
protocols - Fiber Channel, Ethernet or SDH/Sonet;
and architecture - point-to-point, point-tomultipoint,
hubs & spokes and their variations.
Q: What advantages does this approach have for
simplicity in areas such as reducing the
necessary network monitoring, the installation
and planning and the training of the operators?
A: The advantages are many: First, less equipment
having simpler set-ups and requiring no additional
software, monitoring or SNMP etc. permits faster
and less involved planning. Secondly, operator
training is not required and the very low risk of
failure in the field results in very low field
maintenance and consequently no significant OPEX.
The sole parameter to keep in mind, and then only
while planning the layout, are link losses and their
effects on the overall network power budget.
Q: What about acquisition and through life costs
vis a vis managed active WDM System?
A: With passive WDM solutions less hardware
needs to be installed which by design is far less
complex, resulting in CAPEX costing 50% or less
compared with that of active managed system
scenarios. Since the equipment by nature is install
and forget, OPEX is essentially reduced to zero.
Q: Do you think operators fully appreciate the
passive approach? Is there more work to be done
convincing them of this approach?
A: The word is certainly out. Many operators are
currently operating networks with passive CWDM
installed and many have plans to install passive
equipment in 2006. However, many carriers and
ISPs have yet to learn of the approach. An
interesting observation is that the trend to
deploy passive WDM is not related to the size of
the individual operator. Our customers range from
trans-nationals with several thousand units
deployed to small ISPs covering as few as 3
locations.
Q: What are this approach's limitations. What is
the type of user who doesn't need an active WDM
System and what is the type of user that needs to
continue with an active WDM System approach?
A: We have seen, in practice, that the fraction of
operators preferring not to deploy a passive
approach is the minority. The simplified passive
approach comes naturally to competitive operators
serving essentially residential customers via
DSLAMs and any operator transporting several
services, protocols or media traffic transparent
passive WDM solutions. A passive solution is not
suitable in networks where media conversion is
necessary or where wavelengths other than the ITU
WDM wavelength standard are established and will
continue to be utilised.
Q: Can you give me an example of a customer
you've partnered with, the solution delivered and
the new services now being offered?
A: The first example we are free to mention is how
Neuf Telecom / Cegetel in France set-up access
networks in the 15 biggest cities in France. They went
into approximately 3000 co-locations in less than 10
weeks. In this case, access networks are being used
to deliver DSL traffic to residential customers. Neuf
is concentrating on DSL connections and delivers
Triple Play services over their network.
The second example relates to our cooperation
with Telefonica in Germany. Here,
Telefonica does not sell to residential customers
but rather plans to triple its existing network
serving enterprise customers and other carriers.
Finally, connected to the above example are a
number of competitive German ISPs who are
customers of Telefonica. These ISPs use
Telefonica's infrastructure to serve their clients.
Q: Not all parts of a network will need to be
updated, how does the system meet the need to
improve the network segments at a time?
A: Passive WDM may be installed between any two
nodes, typically the co-location and point-ofpresence
or co-location and OLT. Typically, WDM
capacity may be added in four wavelength
increments to give capacity upgrades of 4, 8, 12
and 16 times. The modular systems that Cube
Optics offers allows four wavelength modules to be
added into the 19-inch rack-mountable enclosure
as needed. The transceivers at each end of the link
may be added as individual wavelengths are lit
according to capacity demands.
Q: Cube Optics was founded with the goal of
producing low cost CWDM and other types of
passive optical networking - any plans to expand
that goal?
A: In fact, we have already expanded our goals in
two important ways. First, we manufacture
complete optical heads for industrial sensor,
medical diagnostics and test and measurement
OEMs. This requires the integration of active
sources, very sensitive detectors and temperature
stabilization within a self-contained pluggable subassemble.
Second, we have married our miniature
passive WDM optics with detectors,
transimpedance amplifiers and limiting amplifiers
to yield a four channel 10 Gb/s circuit board
mountable ROSA for datacom/telecom
applications and suitable, for example, for LX-4
transceivers and line cards.
Q: Active solutions are better optimised to deal
with different protocols and media in "every"
location. Are passive solutions likely to offer
inroads into this area anytime soon?
A: The beauty of passive solutions is that they are
transparent. They deal with anything that comes
through the fibre without the need for electrical
power, adjustment or maintenance. Since the
solution works at the optical layer, it is protocol
agnostic. The latest advances for our passive
products is our new line of rugged components.
These components are designed to address the
special wavelengths and operating conditions of
FTTX and HFC applications. Important here is:
operates over a very wide temperature range,
needs no power, is virtually deploy and forget and
inherently high volumes with low cost.
For more information please contact Sven Krüger, krueger@cubeoptics.com or visit www.cubeoptics.com
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