The world’s first 400G digital coherent optics in a pluggable QSFP-DD form factor with 0 dBm output power is honored by Lightwave Innovation Reviews

II‐VI Incorporated (Nasdaq: IIVI), a leader in optical communications transceivers, today announced that it shipped its 400G ZR+ QSFP-DD-DCO transceivers, the world’s first with 0 dBm output power, to Windstream Wholesale for field qualification.

II-VI and Windstream announced in October 2021 their partnership to fast-track the development of high output power 400G transceiver technology that enables Windstream to deploy greatly simplified network architectures. II-VI’s 400G transceivers are the world’s first digital coherent optics with the highest optical output power of 0 dBm that can plug directly into QSFP-DD transceiver slots on IP routers. Windstream can leverage this technology to optically connect routers directly to access, metro, and regional DWDM transport networks without additional intermediary interfaces, eliminating an entire layer of optical equipment and thereby significantly reducing both capital and operational expenditures.

“We’re excited to begin qualification with Windstream ahead of our original schedule,” said Matthias Berger, Vice President, Coherent Technology, II-VI Incorporated. “This 400G transceiver is based on our advanced and proprietary indium phosphide technology, which is uniquely suited to achieve high output power levels of 0 dBm while remaining within the power consumption requirements of QSFP-DD.”

“This 400G transceiver is truly a game-changing technology that will make IP-over-DWDM a reality on Windstream’s ICON network,” said Buddy Bayer, Chief Network Officer at Windstream. “II-VI moved at an accelerated pace to deliver these transceivers, putting us on track to expand 400G wavelength services to large wholesale and hyperscale customers as early as the second half of calendar year 2022. Our ‘fast and flexible’ approach is demonstrated once again through the right strategic partners.”

Windstream’s Intelligent Converged Optical Network (ICON) provides open and disaggregated networking infrastructure, enabling wholesale and enterprise technology customers to select unique custom routes, maintain operational insights with Windstream’s Network Intelligence functions, and place their networks closer to the edge to better serve end-users.

II-VI’s 400G ZR+ QSFP-DD-DCO transceiver was honored as a Lightwave Innovation Reviews High Score Recipient in the category of Optical Transceivers and Transponders. This 400G transceiver is built on II-VI’s IC-TROSA 64 Gbaud coherent optical subassembly, which features a high-efficiency indium phosphide modulator and receiver combined with a built-in tunable laser that delivers best-in-class transmission performance and high optical output power and achieves the transmitter in-band and out-of-band optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) requirements established by the OpenROADM standard.

II-VI will participate on a panel at a webinar titled “Deploying IP over DWDM with 400 ZR+,” hosted by Cignal AI on Thursday, February 24, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time.