Verizon's Fiber-Optic Expertise Is Key Resource at National Fiber Engineering Conference

SAN DIEGO - Having the largest, most advanced network delivering video, data and voice over fiber-optic connections directly to customers has given Verizon network planners and builders a unique view of fiber's performance - and the opportunities its enormous capacity offers.

As a result, some 16 Verizon engineers are making appearances, presenting papers or giving presentations on fiber technology at the Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition and the National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference event being held this week in San Diego.  Verizon experts will speak on topics as varied as automated all-optical switching, the bandwidth flexibility of fiber, how to meet future bandwidth needs and the network construction savings already enabled by current technologies.

"There's no question that because of our five-year head start over competitors of our size we have not just the theoretical understanding of fiber and what it can do, but real experience and a clear perspective on what it will be doing tomorrow and further into the future," said Stu Elby, vice president - network architecture for Verizon and a presenter at the events.

"Actually operating a fiber network directly to customers' premises was a big commitment, but it is paying off now as customers demand more and more capacity for large files and video delivery," he said.  "We're at the stage now that we have to look forward to the days of 3D TV and gigabit-per-second traffic in and out of homes and small businesses.  Sharing that view is what this conference is about."

Elby's two presentations focus on successful strategies for supporting bandwidth-intensive applications and bandwidth flexibility and high availability. 

Other Verizon presenters will discuss how managing fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) services with the latest reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) technologies decreases the number of network elements, lowering costs and reducing service failure points; how Verizon is deploying bend-insensitive fiber in apartment and multiunit buildings; the growth of 40 gigabit-per-second transmission in backbone networks; fiber optic transport of ground-based wireless traffic; and options for quadrupling the bandwidth of today's passive optical network facilities.

Verizon is also aggressively testing 100 Gbps technology. In December 2007, the company tested this technology in the labs and quickly moved to field testing.  The company recently carried out a successful 100 Gbps transmission on a single wavelength for more than 1,040 kilometers over field fiber, setting a new distance record and demonstrating better performance than conventional transmission.

The field trial, conducted on the Verizon network in north Dallas, proved that 100 Gbps signals can be simultaneously transported with 10 Gbps and 40 Gbps signals on the same system with superior results by using advanced optical techniques. The trial also demonstrated that 100 Gbps signals can be simultaneously transported with any mix of 10 Gbps and 40 Gbps on a typical 80-channel ultra-long-haul dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM) system.  As a result, current network configurations can support capacity upgrades up to 100 Gbps per channel on existing routes over similar distances without modification to the physical network, providing quicker, cost-effective implementation.

"As a leader in pursuit of 100 Gbps technology, Verizon's goal is to drive optical networking to deliver greater capacities over longer distances to enhance the high performance and high bandwidth of our network," said Elby. "Whether it's FiOS delivering HD channels and video on demand or business customers using database applications and online trading, we strive to provide the most advanced underlying network technology for our customers."

Elby added: "Networks are never done.  Emerging demand brought about by developments in other industries - whether data services, video services or complex network design and transport services - are a tradition in our industry. No matter what the base technologies, engineers and network planners toil to make things better, bigger, less costly and more efficient.

"That's what the Verizon presence in San Diego is about - the effort to make continuous progress in fiber technology and deployment."

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 80 million customers nationwide.  Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 224,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $97 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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