Ottawa, Canada—Friday, March 21, 2003 // BTI Photonics Inc., a leading provider of optical link extension systems, announced today a line of Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing (CWDM) amplifiers for use in the company’s modular Optical Link System (OLS). The addition of CWDM amplifiers to the OLS offers optical network system vendors a simple and cost effective way to provide managed CWDM transport link solutions to service providers quickly. With both DWDM and CWDM capabilities, the OLS supports system vendors’ entire product portfolios and offers their customers greater flexibility in the drive to optimize lower cost Metro networks.
The OLS is a carrier-class, high-density platform with a variety of optional optical function circuit packs that are easily mixed and matched to deliver optimized amplification, signal conditioning and performance monitoring for DWDM and now CWDM networks as a managed network element. Designed to be compact and modular, the OLS combines carrier-grade hardware with intelligent monitoring + control software, and industry-standard management interfaces.
“Customers have shown a high level of interest in our CWDM solutions because the OLS allows them to effectively address an expanding market while keeping costs down,” says Lance Laking, BTI’s President and CEO. “The introduction of CWDM amplifiers to the OLS is in keeping with our overall vision of providing complete link extension solutions by continuing to rapidly introduce new functionality to the OLS platform.”
BTI’s CWDM solution can co-exist with DWDM channels in the C-Band for express traffic and CWDM channels above and below the C-Band for local traffic. This flexible architecture allows service providers to initially provision their networks with CWDM channels and upgrade later to DWDM as the need arises, without re-engineering their optical links.
BTI’s Optical Link System simplifies network planning, integrates complex optical functions and provides a managed end-to-end solution for terminal equipment system vendors. The addition of CWDM amplifiers to the OLS transforms it into a complete solution that extends links from metro edge devices directly through to regional long haul POPs without regeneration. This is a cost-effective way to add capacity on demand to metro regional networks without having to upgrade existing infrastructure.
BTI will begin shipping CWDM equipped OLS’ to lead customers in Q2 of this year, with general availability of the product in Q3. One OLS circuit pack slot can accommodate up to two CWDM amplifiers depending on customer applications, enabling a single 2U high OLS shelf to be equipped with up to 10 CWDM amplifiers. The new CWDM amplifiers support wavelengths from 1450 to 1610 nm as specified by ITU-T G.694.2.
BTI will be demonstrating CWDM amplifiers for the OLS in our
customer demo suite at the Westin Peachtree in Atlanta during OFC from
March 24 to 27th. In addition, BTI will also be showing the benefits of
the system’s EDFA amplification and dispersion compensation
capabilities for current DWDM networks, as well as advanced options for
managed wavelength services.
BTI
develops and provides integrated amplification, signal conditioning and
performance monitoring solutions for intelligent optical networks. The
company’s network-ready Optical Link System (OLS) offers optical
equipment vendors a managed, cost-optimized solution to quickly and
easily address service provider requirements for flexible transport
link extension within optical networks. Headquartered in Ottawa,
Canada, BTI was launched in 2000. BTI's venture capital investors
include: BCE Capital, Kodiak Venture Partners, Lucent Venture Partners,
Primaxis Technology Ventures, Purple Angel, and Vengrowth. Further
information is available at www.btiphotonics.com
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For more information, please contact:
Chris Egner
VP, Sales & Business Development
BTI Photonics Inc.
(613) 248-9154
sales@btiphotonics.com
