3 March 2011

Finisar launches first interoperable EPON stick in SFP package

Fiber-optic communications component and subsystem maker Finisar Corp of Sunnyvale, CA, USA says that its EPON (Ethernet passive optical network) Stick is available as the first multi-source agreement (MSA) small-form-factor pluggable (SFP) ONU (optical networking unit) that interoperates with other EPON equipment based on CableLabs DOCSIS Provisioning of EPON (DPoE) specifications. Finisar actively participated in the development of the DPoE 1.0 specifications and the recent interoperability testing at CableLabs.

As cable operators further penetrate the business services market, the DPoE effort will decrease the work required to turn up new customers and add new services for existing customers, says Finisar. Using their existing provisioning systems and processes built around DOCSIS, operators can deliver both IP- and Ethernet-based services with DPoE products like the EPON Stick.

“Finisar’s EPON Stick is the first in an MSA SFP footprint compatible with EPON and DPoE,” says Dr Jianhui Zhou, VP & general manager of Access Products at Finisar. “It offers operators the advantages of automated provisioning with DPoE, while still allowing the flexibility of using a wide variety of Ethernet network interface devices, integrated access devices, switches, and routers,” he adds.

Finisar says that its EPON Stick offers pluggable transceiver optics and a complete EPON MAC with DPoE provisioning within the SFP package. This allows an operator to insert the EPON Stick into any SFP host and operate a single demarcation device on the customer premise. The reduced complexity, reduced power consumption and increased reliability of a single-box solution are very attractive to both the operator and their customers or subscribers, reckons the firm. For those operators that either do not yet have DOCSIS provisioning or have not yet used it for business services, the EPON Stick can be deployed with any EPON system and will work with DPoE when they are ready to rapidly scale up deployments with DOCSIS provisioning in the future.

Finisar’s EPON Stick is compatible with any EPON solution including DOCSIS Provisioning of EPON. In addition to EPON and DPoE compatibility,it supports SFF-8472 digital diagnostics and other extended capabilities. Finisar will also be participating in the next interoperability event for DPoE products in April at CableLabs.

Tags: Finisar

Visit: www.finisar.com

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