The Lightwave Blog

Posted by Stephen Hardy

Those of you who receive Lightwave magazine may be interested to learn that we're in the process of redesigning it. This will be our first major face-lift since 2004.

The redesign will focus particularly on the digital edition of the publication. (The link is to the current version, by the way -- we're still working on the new one.) That's because we think that we have the opportunity to marry the best of print and online within the electronic version of the magazine. From the print world, we'll keep the attractive, full-page layout of articles that makes them easy to read. To this end, one thing we'll do within the redesign is minimize the number of times articles jump from one part of the magazine to another. This will make the articles easier to follow -- and easier to print out and take with you, if you'd still prefer to read them in paper format.

But we'll also leverage the capabilities of a digital format. We'll add links at the end of our articles that will make additional information resources available to you with a single click of your mouse. We'll also add video and animation capabilities. For example, we hope to add brief "newscasts" to the "Update" section that will fill you in on the important events that occurred between the time our deadlines forced us stop writing and the time you receive your digital edition. We also hope to be able to replace some static photos and figures with animation that will provide a clearer understanding of whatever point we're trying to illustrate. (This animation JDSU supplied for our Optical Equipment Design Center might be an example of something we'd use in our "Product Profiles.") Naturally, we'll also look to include some of the video and other multimedia features you can find right now on our website.

In short, our goal is make Lightwave an even more useful tool for you than it is now. If you're getting the print edition, you'll still benefit from the redesign -- but I urge you to consider switching to the digital edition to get the full benefits of our beefed up, multimedia coverage of the optical communications market.

We plan to unveil the new-look Lightwave this January. That means there's time for you to offer suggestions on how we can shape the publication to better meet your needs. Have an idea? Email me using the link above or offer a comment below. We'd love to hear from you.

Posted by Stephen Hardy

LG Nortel's recent acquisition of Novera Optics has WDM-PON back in the news -- and a continuing subject of debate. The latest to weigh in is Lynn Hutcheson, VP and analyst at Ovum.

"It most definitely is a good deal for Novera as this acquisition couldn't have come at a better time, with the company approaching an end to its funding and with no significant customer orders in sight. Nortel, on the other hand, abandoned the access market in 2000 as the downturn in the telecommunications market was just beginning. This will be a small step back into the broadband access market," Hutcheson comments. "At the Executive Forum as part of the Optical Fiber Communications Conference, Michael Adams, Nortel's VP of strategy and architecture for Metro Ethernet Solutions, said that WDM-PON was going to play a major role in its broadband access strategy. At best it will provide a few bragging rights for Nortel as it will be the only broadband access player with a WDM-PON product, but that is all as the market for this product is still a few years away."

Despite labeling Nortel as "the only broadband access player with a WDM-PON product," Hutchinson does note that Novera has a strategic marketing agreement with ADC. The latter used NXTcomm to debut the results of that agreement, the PONy Express. Meghan talked to Tom Devittorio, product line manager at ADC, about the platform, and you can see the interview right now:


Of course, we just posted a video on next-gen PON as well that includes a discussion of WDM-PON. You'll note that ADVA Optical Networking is offering CWDM-PON as a way to support business services.

I agree with Hitachi America's Scott Wilkinson (as captured in the NG PON video) that WDM-PON's short-term future for FTTH outside of South Korea will largely depend on how long it takes 10G PON technology to reach the marketplace. However, I could also envision some pull from carriers (MSOs?) who might use it to support business services. In either case, however, I don't see the technology sweeping the marketplace.

What do you think?