NXTcomm08

Infinera Announces Passive PICs, Enabling Tighter Channel Spacing and Optical Pass-Through

| Jun 11, 2008 | Optical Infrastructure | Show Update

| Analyst: Jason Marcheck

Current Perspective: Positive Vendor Importance: High Market Impact: High

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Event Summary

June 9, 2008 -- Infinera announced that it will introduce passive photonic integrated circuits (PICs) at NXTcomm 2008. The new PICs are touted to extend similar benefits as the vendor’s active PIC technology in that they consolidate dozens of discrete optical components on a chipset. The passive PICs are based on IPR and a proprietary glass, Hydex, which Infinera acquired when it bought Maryland-based start-up Little Optics.

Analytical Summary

• Current Perspective: Positive on Infinera’s announcement of new passive photonic integrated circuits (PICs), because they will complement the introduction of a new ILS2 optical line system for the vendor’s DTN DWDM transport platform. In addition to further consolidating discrete optical components on a chip, which, in this case is a key enabler of the ILS2’s claimed ability to support 25 GHz channel spacing, the new passive PICs will allow the DTN to support optical pass-through capabilities, thereby addressing a key knock that competitors leveled against Infinera’s approach to optical networking.

• Vendor Importance: High to Infinera, because the new passive PICs seem to validate the vendor’s purchase of Little Optics in the form of IPR leading to perhaps the most significant technological advancement Infinera has announced since it first commercialized PICs in 2004. The combination of multiple discrete components promises to create an additional level of optical system integration that should only bolster Infinera’s already well-crafted value proposition of delivering one of the most OpEx-friendly DWDM transport solutions available today. Still, while enhancements such as the passive PICs and the ILS2, which was detailed in a separate release, figure to make the DTN more appealing, Infinera still faces the challenge of delivering the products to market in a timely manner and then establishing their credibility in live network deployments.

• Market Impact: High on the optical infrastructure market, because Infinera has quickly become a strong competitor in the long-haul DWDM market. To this end, any enhancements that make the DTN more capable should be viewed as a threat. At the same time, the material that forms the basis of the passive PICs, Hydex glass, has yet to prove that it can stand up to the rigors of a large-scale commercial deployment, meaning the passive PIC concept still needs to pass muster before its value can be taken for granted.

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