Pirelli Intros Tunable Laser

MILAN and ATLANTA -- Pirelli Broadband Solutions, a new broadband access and photonics company within the Pirelli Group, will introduce its latest product, a compact module with built-in tunable laser and control electronics, at the Optical Fiber Communication/National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference (OFC/NFOEC) in Anaheim, Calif., on March 7, 2006.

The Pirelli ITLA is an ideal solution for DWDM optical network systems. Based on MSA standards, it can be easily integrated into an MSA 300 PIN board or a line card. At the core of the ITLA is the Pirelli Dynamically Tunable Laser and patented electro-optical technology. A hermetically-sealed 26-pin butterfly package increases reliability and decreases form factor. With no moving parts needed to achieve tunability, the Pirelli ITLA is designed to meet the reliability standards established by Telcordia GR-468-CORE requirements. By tuning over the entire C-band on the 50 Ghz ITU channel grid, one Pirelli ITLA can serve as a backup or a replacement for all WDM laser sources within a DWDM system. As WDM transponders account for a majority of the costs in an optical network, the Pirelli ITLA can deliver cost savings through a reduction in inventory. The Pirelli ITLA guarantees fast switching time for dynamic provisioning. Telecom operators now have the flexibility to switch to alternative channels and reconfigure added channels in less time. The Pirelli ITLA will be available for commercial use third quarter 2006.

“By adding the Pirelli ITLA to our laser portfolio, we are able to address more of the market demand,” said Pierluigi Franco, senior vice president, Marketing and Product Management - Photonics for Pirelli Broadband Solutions S.p.A. “For those systems vendors looking for a more flexible and highly-integrated solution we can now offer the ITLA and for those wanting to design their own optics we can provide our Dynamically Tunable Laser as a stand alone component. Both solutions are high performing and deliver cost savings through a reduction in inventory.”

Luis Tondi Resta, director, Engineering for Pirelli Broadband Solutions N.A. added, “From the feedback we are receiving from our customers in North America, we know that a number of networking vendors have designed their transponders with dedicated space for an ITLA. As network operators optimize their DWDM systems for the arrival of new bandwidth-intensive services such as IPTV, the Pirelli ITLA will play an important role by delivering greater efficiencies and reducing the OPEX burden.”

Pirelli SpA (Milan: PECI.MI)