Corning Inc. has introduced a new standard singlemode optical fiber that handles twice the launch power of other ITU-T G.652 fibers, addressing a key technical barrier facing converged voice, video and data services networks.
Corning NexCor optical fiber with MaxPower technology is designed to reduce network costs by enabling broader network coverage and more efficient network design.
NexCor fiber's advantage is designed into the optical fiber itself through Corning-engineered MaxPower technology, increasing the stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) threshold of the optical fiber by 3 dB, which doubles NexCor fiber's power-handling capability over other standard singlemode fibers. With the ability to launch twice the optical power, network operators can deploy today's analog video technology with broader network coverage - reducing costs per subscriber - with an outside plant that is designed for migration to digital video transmission in the future.
SBS is a non-linear effect caused by high power levels that scatter transmitted light backward and degrade the signal. Analog video transmission's demanding power requirements make an optical fiber's SBS threshold the defining limitation of networks delivering analog video to consumers today, such as passive optical networks (PON) and cable television networks. For example, with twice the launch power enabled by NexCor fiber, a PON can double the number of subscribers served per splitter and extend its reach compared with other standard singlemode fibers. This translates directly into reduced overall costs per subscriber.
"At Corning, fiber innovation has always been about tangible value creation, with customer needs driving fiber design and development," says Bob Brown, senior vice president and general manager of Corning Optical Fiber. "We worked closely with our customers and system houses to develop an optical fiber that improves network economics by addressing a specific technical limitation facing them with today's fiber technologies."
NexCor fiber will be unveiled at OFC 2004 in Los Angeles with a technical demonstration of the fiber's superior power performance within the Corning Inc. exhibit at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Corning is based in Corning, NY. For more information visit www.corning.com.
