Calix Unveils Next Gen PON Solutions to Redefine the Gigabit Experience

Calix, Inc., the global enabler of gigabit fiber deployments, has announced new cards for its E-Series portfolio that introduce both increased systems capacity and ITU/FSAN NG-PON2 support.

By adding 10 gigabit per second (10 Gbps) time and wavelength division multiplexed (TWDM) PON NG-PON2 with both fixed and tunable wavelengths, Calix is paving the way for service providers to leverage next generation fiber solutions that redefine the broadband experience.

These solutions, when combined with Calix Compass software applications and GigaCenter platforms, extend far beyond gigabit “speeds and feeds” to encompass superior Wi-Fi performance and compelling cloud-based applications, and lay the foundation for a superior gigabit and multi-gigabit experience for residential and business subscribers.

Service providers globally are seeing an explosion of cloud-connected devices. In North America alone, the average person is projected to have over 11 of these devices by 2019. As these devices proliferate and are used to stream and share rich multimedia content, they will place enormous pressure on the access infrastructure. By 2019, 80 percent of all internet traffic will be IP video, while global cloud traffic will nearly quadruple over the same period. (Statistics from Cisco VNI and Cisco GCI)

Service providers need solutions that can meet these emerging demands today while seamlessly adding new technologies for even higher scale and capacity in the future. Extending from the award-winning GigaCenter at the subscriber premises all the way to the cloud-based Compass software, Calix next generation fiber solutions arm service providers with technologies to address challenges and opportunities in subscriber support, analytics, and service enhancement.

Potential issues impacting the subscriber broadband experience, such as device bandwidth contention in the ultra HD video enabled home, management of the device-rich smart home, and sub-par Wi-Fi performance, can be remedied before they manifest themselves to subscribers.

Calix has a long history of serving fiber access customers with an architectural philosophy of a unified access infrastructure, supporting both business and residential services. Calix service provider customers have found the financial benefits of this architecture to be compelling, resulting in industry-leading efficiency in installed equipment costs and on-going operational savings.

The Calix NG-PON2 strategy extends this leadership, expanding the capacity of fiber networks and allowing service providers to keep pace with the needs of business and residential customers alike over a common infrastructure.

“From being the vendor with the first commercial deployments of GPON over a decade ago, to our unique auto-detect technology and pay-as-you-grow modular fiber architecture, Calix has consistently led the way in fiber access innovation,” said Michel Langlois, Calix senior vice president of systems products. “This leadership in innovation is why over 1000 service providers across the globe rely on Calix for fiber access solutions, including nearly 100 delivering a gigabit service experience to their residential subscribers. Next generation PON provides fertile ground for a new wave of innovations, and Calix is again leading the way with significant contributions to development of the NG-PON2 standard, including key submissions that will reduce deployment costs and technical complexity and assure 2.4 GPON coexistence. Demonstrations of both NG-PON2 with tunable TWDM wavelengths and fixed wavelength 10G PON will take place this fall.”

Calix next generation PON solutions will extend across the entire access infrastructure, from the device-enabled subscriber premises to the data center or central office:

· Subscriber Premises: The industry leading Calix premises portfolio will be expanded to include NG-PON2 technology, including both fixed and tunable optics, across the full range of subscriber applications – from business services to MDU and SFU residential applications with Carrier Class Wi-Fi. Compass software-as-a-service applications will also be expanded to support these technologies and bring a true multi-gigabit experience to subscribers.

· Access Infrastructure: The award winning E7 portfolio will be enhanced by NG-PON2 cards that support both 10 Gbps fixed and TWDM wavelengths with pluggable optics. Optimized for areas of high bandwidth demand and congestion, these cards will support the delivery of multiple wavelengths of symmetrical 10 Gbps services.

· Data Center / Central Office: The E7 portfolio will be augmented by new high capacity cards that tap into new levels of performance in both system switching and uplink capacity.

“Calix has a long history of new innovations in the fiber access industry, making key contributions to fiber access standards and making the fiber access business model work for service providers,” said Teresa Mastrangelo, principal and founder of Broadbandtrends LLC. “Now as we move into the emerging era of next generation PON, it’s no surprise to see Calix announcing a comprehensive portfolio addressing a range of applications. It is clear that NG-PON2 is going to be the PON technology that enables the multi-gigabit experience of the future, and Calix looks to be ready as this market emerges with a robust solutions oriented strategy.”