Adtran adds ROADM-on-a-blade, other functionality to Optical Networking Edge platform

Adtran today announced ROADM-on-a-blade capability for the Optical Networking Edge (ONE) platform introduced last year at this time (CP: New Adtran ONE portfolio targets optical transport at network edge). In addition the company announced a multi-service optical transport network switchponder for the ONE platform.

“We have seen over the last year a very wide acceptance of this technology at the access edge,” said Adtran Director of Marketing Communications Kevin Morgan in an interview.

Both offerings aim to address the need for increased bandwidth at the network edge to support capabilities such as mobile backhaul.

“The features and functions make the Optical Networking Edge more of a transport-type product,” said Morgan.

ROADM on a blade
As Morgan explained, a ROADM designed for use at the network edge does not need the complexity traditionally built in to a ROADM product.

“Traditionally vendors have separate components that make up a ROADM,” said Morgan. “You can purchase a wavelength selection switch, amplifiers . . . a whole number of different elements you put together to comprise what we call the ROADM. Typically you’re going after 40 and 100 gig services, [which] can be expensive.”

Adtran he said is putting the elements that would normally be purchased separately and “reducing the amount of complexity and doing it all on one card, bringing the same effective functionality down to the card level.”

Previously cards for the ONE had fixed filter optics, but the mini ROADM card gives the product greater flexibility, Morgan said. “No matter what type of interface you need on a particular wavelength, we can move [it] around in the DWDM functions so you can do the right mapping, switching and aggregation,” he explained.

Adtran’s OTN Switchponder is a multi-service unit that integrates an optical transport network switch with a DWDM transponder on a single card. The product provides remotely configurable any-service to any-port operation, Adtran said, and can deliver OTN mapping, switching, aggregation and transport capabilities. That ability allows operators to simultaneously transport Sonet/SDH, Ethernet, Fibre Channel or other services.

Adtran’s ONE enhancements build on an announcement last week that the company’s NetVanta 850 carrier Ethernet access gateway was certified to meet MEF9 and MEF14 requirements established by the Metro Ethernet Forum.