EXFO, Opnext to Demo 100G Test

QUEBEC CITY -- EXFO Inc. (NASDAQ: EXFO, TSX: EXF) announced today that it will demonstrate 100G interoperability testing capabilities, in collaboration with Opnext, at the upcoming OFC/NFOEC event, March 8-10, 2011, booth 2831.

As carriers and network operators continue to strive to deliver the capacity required to fulfill high-demand value-added services while mitigating network congestion and assuring service delivery, they must also invest in reducing costs and improving efficiency. To meet this challenge, they must upgrade to 100G Ethernet and transport services across optical transport networks (OTNs)-all with the help of system manufacturers.

With this in mind, EXFO and Opnext have joint their efforts and have, successfully tested Opnext's 100GBASE-LR4 CFP Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) optical module using EXFO's FTB-85100G Packet Blazer (100G/40G Ethernet and OTN) module. Housed in EXFO's FTB-500 portable platform, the FTB-85100G features numerous testing capabilities, including qualifying 100 GigE IP traffic transmission at 100 % throughput, measuring latency and ensuring transparent recovery of the client signal at the receiver end when mapped over OTN. The interoperability testing results reveal that 100G/40G trials and early deployments can prove complex and cumbersome when conducted without the proper test equipment.

"Opnext is excited about this collaboration with EXFO to provide a complete 100 GigE design and test solutions for our mutual customers," said Tadayuki Kanno, President of Opnext's Module Business Unit and Device Business Unit. "Opnext's 100 GigE CFP optical module continues to gain momentum as first generation 100 GigE transceivers; enabling network element manufacturers, carriers and data center owners to seamlessly establish 100 Gbit/s connectivity."

"For years, EXFO has been providing its customers with the right tools to meet the demand for stable and resilient Ethernet services and network performance. To continue to do so, we are happy to work with Opnext for this joint 100G initiative," said Etienne Gagnon, EXFO's Vice-President, Wireline Division and Corporate Marketing. "With EXFO's FTB-85100G 40G/100G Ethernet and OTN testing capabilities, system manufacturers and service providers can be sure that all new 40G/100G circuits in service will be proven capable of handling any of the demanding services that may be deployed in the future."

EXFO (Nasdaq: EXFO; Toronto: EXF)

Opnext Inc. (Nasdaq: OPXT)