NEC Expands All Optical Networks with Open Specifications

NEC Corporation is driving the expansion of All Optical Networks with the introduction of its "SpectralWave WX Series," a lineup of open specifications-compliant, open optical transport products. The series is built based on standards defined by Open ROADM and the Telecom Infra Project's (TIP) Phoenix initiative.

This development signifies a shift from traditional transport networks, which conventionally required both optical and electrical technologies, towards future end-to-end optical transmission technology. NEC will release four initial products in the lineup on October 1, 2022.

NEC envisions All Optical Networks as a next-generation, environmentally friendly infrastructure that will enable digital twins, social transformation, and the creation of new services and industries. The company believes this will facilitate the deployment of transport networks with high capacity, low latency, multiple connections, as well as advanced security, robustness, and power savings.

Unlike traditional vertically integrated network systems built with equipment from a single vendor, NEC's new open optical transmission devices support multi-vendor configurations. This allows customers to procure and combine equipment from multiple vendors according to their specific needs.

NEC plans to market these products globally to telecommunication carriers, electric power companies, and data center operators. The company aims to capture 25% of the future optical transport market. These products were developed in collaboration with NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION (NTT) as part of an alliance formed in June 2020.