Fujitsu develops 40G-bps optical transmitter module

Fujitsu has developed a prototype 40G-bps (bits per second) optical transmitter module for DWDM (dense wavelength division multiplexing) systems and will start sample shipments of the product in March this year, the company announced Wednesday.

The transmission speed is considered the next level beyond the current 10G-bps optical networking standard, and many optical equipment makers are presently developing such systems using DWDM technology, according to a Fujitsu statement.

DWDM allows fiber-optic cables to carry multiple streams of data, thereby dramatically increasing their maximum bandwidth.

In this new development, at 40G bps, the company has managed to make an optical transmitter in a modular format, which can remove the need for various time-consuming testing processes, thus accelerating system development, said Takehiro Hayashi, a spokesman for Fujitsu.

"There are other technical areas that need to be developed in 40G-bps optical networking, however, the development of the optical transmitter module is a big step," Hayashi said.

In North America, the expectations of demand for optical networking, along with the increase in data volume, were high until last year. But the hype has cooled down somewhat at present, Hayashi said. "Within a few years, we expect the technology to be ready but will observe market conditions to seek the best timing for commercialization," he said.

The prototype was unveiled at the 2nd Fiber Optics Expo, which continues through Friday at Tokyo Big site.