ECOC 2019: multivendor interoperability demos with Ethernet Alliance

By Astra Baltayan 

As a key member of Ethernet Alliance, we were proud to collaborate with them and our other industry partners in multivendor interoperability demos presented at Ethernet Alliance’s booth during ECOC 2019.   

To keep up, stay competitive and be ready to reap the benefits of 5G and other network transformations, operators must ensure that their networks’ migration path includes the ability to handle bandwidth expansion and new technologies. For networks to undergo these unpreceded transformations, it’s critical that new technologies transition smoothly from lab environments to field deployments. So the pressure’s on to prove that these technologies are ready for prime time. This requires proven interoperability, as shown amongst Ethernet Alliance partners at this year’s ECOC.  

Our demos this year focused on 400G Ethernet traffic using multiple interfaces, including QSFP-DD and OSFP; a 200G multivendor interconnection; and 100G testing featuring the latest optical transceiver technologies. We demonstrated EXFO’s ability to interoperate with a variety of vendors using optical, DAC cable and AOC connections. 

All of these live interoperability demonstrations were facilitated by our Open Transceiver System (OTS) – a unique, modular system that delivers the capability to swap out transceiver inserts, enabling EXFO test platforms to support both today’s high speed interfaces and tomorrow’s yet undetermined ones. EXFO’s OTS extends the life of test equipment, reducing CAPEX and total cost of ownership for our customers. 

Watch Jean Marie Vilain, Product Line Manager at EXFO, as he presents these interoperability demos in action at the Ethernet Alliance booth.