Lucent Technologies
today said it will provide passive optical networking (PON) technology for a new Nippon Telephone and Telegraph (NTT) access network in Japan.
Lucent said it will use its Optical Network Units for the project, and will employ its Optical Line Terminals installed at NTT’s central offices.
The NTT project is known as the “Pi-PON system” and is described as a “fiber to the curb” initiative that aims to replace copper cable with fiber in the
majority of NTT’s subscriber system. Once completed, NTT plans to provide its customers with high-speed Internet access, video apps, and other high-bandwidth services.
Lucent said NTT’s network will contain long-lasting glass fibers that are capable of transmitting large data amounts and designed to outlive and be less maintenance-intensive than cable.
The PON-based network is considered “passive” because it does not need active electronic devices or power supplies to preserve electricity. Older network communication signals are transmitted via electricity, as is the case with telephone networks employing copper cable.
Passive optical networking signals transmit through lasers sent over fiber optic links and are then routed to specific areas by devices that act like “highway interchanges.”
“NTT is leading the way in the deployment and commercialization of
PON-based fiber-to-the-home technology,” said Eiichi Shimizu, president of
Lucent’s Global Service Provider business in Japan. “NTT customers will
soon lead the world in sophisticated communications capabilities in their
businesses and homes.”