Coherent Announces General Availability of 100G ZR QSFP28-DCO Transceiver

Image 1: 100G ZR QSFP28-DCO transceiver with Steelerton DSP. 

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Coherent Corp. (NYSE: COHR), a global leader in high-performance optical networking solutions, proudly announces the general availability and production release of the industry’s first 100G ZR QSFP28 digital coherent optics (DCO) transceiver.

Leveraging the unparalleled efficiency of Steelerton™ digital signal processor (DSP) technology from Coherent, the 100G ZR QSFP28-DCO module sets a new standard for low power consumption, operating at an industry-leading 5 W in a highly compact form factor. This innovative DSP is integrated with a cutting-edge silicon photonics optical front-end and a power-optimized tunable laser, based on the Coherent indium phosphide platform. The combination of proprietary DSP and optics designs exemplifies the value of vertical integration for superior performance and scalability.

“The release of our 100G ZR QSFP28-DCO platform highlights our relentless commitment to innovation and differentiation in DSP and optics technology,” said Dr. Beck Mason, Executive Vice President, Telecommunications, at Coherent. “We’re thrilled by the strong customer demand across multiple market segments and are excited to scale commercial deployments with our partners globally. This milestone is a testament to the dedication and expertise of our team.”

“Digital coherent technology is moving closer to the edge to support ever-increasing demand for more bandwidth,” said Vladmir Kozlov, CEO, LightCounting LLC. “Coherent’s 100G QSFP28 offers the industry the opportunity to seamlessly upgrade 10G DWDM networks with 100G transceivers without the need to re-engineer the network and allows reuse of existing 100G router and switch ports.”  

“10G DWDM is widely deployed at the edge of the network, but carriers are searching for higher-bandwidth 100G solutions,” said Scott Wilkinson, Lead Analyst, Cignal AI. “Low-power QSFP28 is required at the edge, and Coherent’s 100ZR solution is well positioned to be the upgrade format of choice. It provides a span budget, ease of installation, and the chromatic dispersion tolerance of coherent with a format that smoothly integrates into existing hardware. This solution allows carriers to easily and economically increase capacity 10x at the edge of the network.” 

“This transceiver sets a new benchmark in power efficiency, consuming far less energy than any other coherent solution on the market,” said Christoph Glingener, Chief Technology Officer of Adtran. “It enables operators to easily upgrade their edge and access networks from 10 Gbps to 100 Gbps data rates, while lowering both capital and operational expenses.” 

The 100G ZR QSFP28-DCO is available in variants supporting both the SFF-8636 and CMIS management interface standards, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of existing network infrastructures. The seamless upgrade path on deployed QSFP28-equipped devices and the 300 km dispersion-limited reach make the 100G ZR QSFP-DCO a versatile solution. Additionally, the integration of Flextune™ auto-tuning technology ensures zero-touch provisioning, significantly simplifying operations and reducing deployment complexity for carriers.