LAS VEGAS -- NXTcomm 2008 -- Fujitsu Ltd. (Tokyo: 6702; London: FUJ; OTC: FJTSY) confirmed today that its Flashwave 9500 has been chosen by Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) as a second-source optical box for the FiOS backbone. (See Verizon Picks Fujitsu.)

Analysts have long suspected that Fujitsu was the front runner to win this Verizon RFP, which sought a reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) to complement the Tellabs Inc. (Nasdaq: TLAB; Frankfurt: BTLA) 7100 Optical Transport System. Tellabs remains Verizon's primary ROADM vendor. (See Report: Fujitsu Wins Verizon RFP and Fujitsu Leads in Verizon RFP.)

Only a handful of vendors, including Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) and Nortel Networks Ltd. , had a product capable of doing what Verizon was asking, but Fujitsu reportedly had designed the 9500 around the RFP.The RFP sought a single device that could do Sonet, wavelength switching, and connection-oriented Ethernet. It was rumored to include Provider Backbone Transport (PBT) (a.k.a. PBB-TE) support as well. (See Verizon Preps God Box RFP.)

Leading up to the Verizon announcement, Fujitsu has been touting enhancements to the Flashwave 9500. It recently announced PBB-TE support and a new Compact Delivery System (CDS) version of the box that comes in a 2-slot modular configuration. (See Fujitsu Supports PBB-TE.)

Flashwave has also been making headlines in the courtroom, as Fujitsu is in litigation with Tellabs over two separate patent infringement disputes. (See Tellabs Sues Fujitsu for Patent Infringement and Fujitsu Sues Tellabs .)

— Raymond McConville, Reporter, Light Reading