The company was set up to fulfil the need to connect long-distance networks with metropolitan networks, so that operators can reach their end customers more efficiently. From the start, the idea was to develop a DWDM solution for metropolitan networks, which did not require optical amplifiers.
"We have developed a new node architecture, which minimises fibre losses. This means that each fibre can carry between two and four times more traffic, compared to other DWDM solutions of today."
Lumentis' equipment supports up to 40 wavelengths per fibre pair, or 80 wavelength channels per ring, and it is available in two versions. The smaller Mentis 300 acts as an add-drop-node in smaller access points, and the larger version Mentis 3000, with its greater capacity, links metropolitan networks to greater regional rings or long-distance networks. Mentis 3000 can also be equipped with an all-optical cross connector which re-directs network capacity to areas with the greatest bandwidth need at a certain time.
The company aims to have one or two reference clients within six months and then to manufacture between 500 and 1,000 systems a year.
Gittan Cedervall