MACOM launches first complete portfolio for 10G PON OLT & ONU infrastructure

M/A-COM Technology Solutions Inc of Lowell, MA, USA (which makes semiconductors, components and subassemblies for analog RF, microwave, millimeter-wave and photonic applications) has launched what it claims is the first complete solution portfolio for 10G passive optical network (PON) applications, enabling optical line terminal (OLT) and optical network unit (ONU) infrastructure.

Building on the firm’s industrial-scale manufacturing capabilities, the new 10G PON portfolio enables seamless component integration and cost efficiencies to help accelerate 10G PON infrastructure build-outs.

“The shift to 10G GPON is underway with initial deployments in all major regions worldwide,” notes Julie Kunstler, principal analyst at market research firm Ovum. “The current 2.5G GPON infrastructure cannot meet continuing bandwidth growth from both residential and non-residential subscribers and applications,” she adds. “In the ultra-cost sensitive, highly competitive fiber access market, MACOM’s technology and product developments to minimize both integration complexities and costs while reducing deployments times will be well received.”

MACOM’s solution portfolio combines the inherent performance and supply scalability advantages of electro-optic modulated lasers (EOMLs), complemented by a range of pre-qualified, interoperable avalanche photodiodes (APDs), transimpedance amplifiers (TIAs), laser drivers, and clock & data recovery (CDR) chips. Leveraging MACOM’s L-PIC technology platform and patented etched facet technology (EFT) for high-volume, low-cost laser manufacturing, MACOM reckons that its 10G PON portfolio is poised to replicate the breakthrough cost-structure reductions that it previously achieved in 2.5G PON.

MACOM claims to be the only supplier to provide the entire range of 10G PON components, while delivering EOML technology that overcomes the performance, yield and cost limitations of electro-absorptive modulated lasers (EMLs). The firm says that its application expertise and end-to-end chip-set enables customers to go to market with tightly integrated 10G PON systems at aggressive timescales, significantly shortening the design and development cycles required to independently validate component interoperability. MACOM claims that it is the only firm that can provide the cost structure, capacity and supply chain flexibility for high-volume, client-side applications.

“MACOM’s leading market share in the PON domain – where we’ve shipped over 135 million lasers to date– is a testament to customers’ trust in our proven technology platforms and volume-scale manufacturing efficiency,” says Vivek Rajgarhia, senior VP & general manager, Lightwave, at MACOM. “With the introduction of our 10G PON solution portfolio, we’ve again affirmed our commitment to helping customers overcome the challenges of deploying advanced optical technologies at massive scale and lowered cost structures.”

Components are sampling to customers now, with full production planned for first-half 2018. MACOM is showcasing its 10G PON solution portfolio in booth #117 at the European Conference on Optical Communications (ECOC 2017) in Gothenburg, Sweden (17–21 September).