Lucent raises optical bar

Lucent Technologies opened the CeBit show in Hanover, Germany, last week by unveiling a series of optical networking products, including what the company claims is the first system capable of bringing 10 Gb/s (OC-192/STM-64) networking capacity to ISPs.

The WaveStar DataExpress is "the first true product that tries to integrate IP and optical," said Harry Bosco, group president of Lucent's optical networking group. It will "enable emerging carriers to build local data networks that are four times faster than today while providing up to 60% cost savings."

Metromedia Fiber Network plans to test the new system in the San Francisco Bay area.

The new system is one piece of Lucent's quickly expanding optical networking portfolio. The company also announced seven other new products with 10 Gb/s capability: three versions of a stand-alone optical networking system that will provide 10 Gb/s capability for long-distance and metro networks and four interfaces that bring 10 Gb/s capability to Lucent's WaveStar bandwidth manager.

"This enables customers to increase the speed of the networks, but also manage the wavelengths on which the information is traveling," Bosco said. With DataExpress, Lucent finally has surpassed Nortel's 10 Gb/s optical networking product line, said Dana Cooperson, director of optical networking for RHK. "[DataExpress] is very efficient in terms of space and power," she said. "It certainly is designed to be very inexpensive as well, yet provide the kind of reliability you get from carrier-class products."