Infinera Unveils New Passive PIC Platform
June 09 2008 - 3:00PM
Marketwired
SUNNYVALE, CA is introducing two new passive photonic integrated
circuits (PICs) with the launch of its ILS2 line system today.
Infinera's passive PICs are designed to deliver benefits similar to
Infinera's existing PICs, including greater density of
functionality in a smaller space, reduced power consumption,
simplified manufacturing, and enhanced reliability. The
introduction of these additional PICs should increase the
importance and the value of photonic integration as a key enabling
technology for service providers facing the growing challenge of
meeting escalating bandwidth demand while keeping a grip on network
cost.
Infinera's optoelectronic or "active" PICs will continue to sit
at the heart of Infinera's DTN system. The active PICs, offering
100 Gigabits/second of DWDM capacity on every Infinera line card,
have integrated active devices such as lasers, modulators, and
photodiodes. These active PICs are now in their second generation
of development and include additional functionality not present on
the first generation of active PICs. Future generations of active
PICs are planned to scale to higher capacities and to add
additional functionality. In March, independent analyst firm Heavy
Reading labeled Infinera the world leader in photonic integration
technology and estimated Infinera had a four-year lead over the
rest of the industry in photonic integration technology.
Infinera's new passive PICs integrate passive devices such as
multiplexers, interleavers, variable optical attenuators and
waveguides, and play key roles in routing and filtering DWDM
wavelengths in the ILS2 system, which enables up to 160 DWDM
channels on a single fiber. [See related news release, Infinera
Introduces New Line System, Sets New Standard for Capacity for
further information on ILS2.] Infinera's passive PIC technology is
based on the use of a proprietary glass, Hydex�, which enables a
reduction in the size of the planar lightwave circuits (PLCs) on
the PICs by roughly 90% compared to conventional material
technologies. Hydex is manufactured at Infinera's semiconductor
fabrication facility in Annapolis Junction, Maryland, which is also
where the passive PICs are produced. Hydex supports waveguides with
far tighter bends than conventional PLCs, enabling dense
integration of devices on Hydex-based PICs, yielding chips far
smaller with significantly more functionality than conventional PLC
devices.
More Than 40 Devices on a Chip
Each of these passive PICs is less than one square centimeter in
area. Conventional PLCs typically would require roughly 100 times
the area to perform similar functions. The Infinera passive PICs
eliminate more than 90% of the fiber couplings and discrete
packages found in non-PIC based systems, and are designed to
deliver significant benefits in network reliability and simplify
manufacturing and test processes, leading to more time-efficient
and cost-efficient production.
One of the passive PICs introduced today is a precision
multi-wavelength multiplexer/ demultiplexer, supporting ILS2's 25
Gigahertz (GHz) channel spacings. It integrates the functionality
of more than 40 devices onto a single chip. The other passive PIC,
announced today serves as a wavelength management device,
integrating the functionality of more than ten devices on a chip.
Both PICs play important roles in enabling the new ILS2 to pack up
to160 channels or wavelengths of light into the C-band while
supporting ultra-long-haul distances.
"This is another important milestone for Infinera and for
photonic integration," commented Sterling Perrin, Senior Analyst at
Heavy Reading. "The company established itself as the world leader
in photonic integration with its initial PIC pair, launched in
2004. In 2008, the company is proving that it continues to lead in
PIC innovation -- first with its active PIC roadmap announced
earlier in the year and now with its new passive PICs."
"Infinera believes that integration is the only known technology
that can improve the capacity of a network while simultaneously
delivering benefits in terms of cost per bit, reliability,
scalability, speed of operation, density, and power consumption,"
commented Infinera Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer Dave Welch.
"Our passive PICs, based on a different platform from our active
PICs, demonstrate that PIC technology can be applied to multiple
materials, and to multiple points in the design of an optical
network. We believe that photonic integration is still at a
relatively early stage in its life as a key technology for
optics."
About Infinera
Infinera provides Digital Optical Networking systems to
telecommunications carriers worldwide. Infinera's systems are
unique in their use of a breakthrough semiconductor technology: the
photonic integrated circuit (PIC). Infinera's systems and PIC
technology are designed to provide optical networks with simpler
and more flexible engineering and operations, faster
time-to-service, and the ability to rapidly deliver differentiated
services without reengineering their optical infrastructure. For
more information, please visit www.infinera.com.
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements
based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that
involve risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on
information available to Infinera as of the date hereof; and actual
results could differ materially from those stated or implied, due
to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include
statements regarding Infinera's expectations, beliefs, intentions
or strategies regarding the future which includes Infinera's belief
that the introduction of additional PICs increases the importance
and the value of photonic integration as a key enabling technology
for service providers; that passive PICs deliver significant
benefits in network reliability and simplify manufacturing and test
processes, leading to more efficient production; that ILS2's 25
Gigahertz (GHz) channel spacings is industry-leading; and that
Integration is the most powerful technology direction in optical
networks today and the only known technology that can improve the
capacity of a network while simultaneously delivering benefits in
terms of cost per bit, reliability, scalability, speed of
operation, density, and power consumption. Such forward-looking
statements can be identified by forward-looking words such as
"anticipated," "believed," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend,"
"may," "should," "will," and "would" or similar words. The risks
and uncertainties that could cause our results to differ materially
from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements
include aggressive business tactics by our competitors, our
dependence on a single product, our ability to protect our
intellectual property, claims by others that we infringe their
intellectual property, our manufacturing process is very complex,
product performance problems we may encounter, our dependence on
sole or limited source suppliers, our ability to respond to rapid
technological changes, our ability to maintain effective internal
controls, the ability of our contract manufacturers to perform as
we expect, a new technology being developed that replaces the PIC
as the dominant technology in optical networks, general political,
economic and market conditions and events, including war, conflict
or acts of terrorism; and other risks and uncertainties described
more fully in our annual report on Form 10-K filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on February 19, 2008, our public
announcements and other documents filed with or furnished to the
Securities and Exchange Commission. These statements are based on
information available to us as of the date hereof and we disclaim
any obligation to update the forward-looking statements included in
this press release, whether as a result of new information, future
events or otherwise.
For further information: Media: Jeff Ferry Infinera Tel.
+1-408-572-5213 jferry@infinera.com Investors: Bob Blair Infinera
Tel. +1-408-716-4879 bblair@infinera.com
Infinera (NASDAQ:INFN)
Historical Stock Chart
From May 2024 to Jun 2024
Infinera (NASDAQ:INFN)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jun 2023 to Jun 2024