2013 OFC/NFOEC Trends and Buzzes

The OFC/NFOEC Conference is one of the biggest shows of the year, and a great occasion to see what’s new and to hear what everyone is buzzing about. So, who are the best people to ask for the full scoop? Well, I decided to consult two of the top editors on-site about their impressions of the show over the years and the trends marking this year’s event. 

So, we have confirmation from both sources that the main focus of this year’s OFC/NFOEC Conference was definitely the 100G deployments taking place all over the globe. This topic was also a main highlight at EXFO’s booth, where we showcased our FTB-88100NGE, a 10M-to-100G compact multiservice field‑testing solution.

Although 100G was the central theme of the conference, there was some talk about 200G and even 400G. Software-defined networking (SDN) also generated some chatter, but most will agree that its definition and usage remain unclear, as solutions vary from one service provider to another. From what we’ve heard, SDN can improve network usage and reduce costs, so it’s no surprise that SDN is expanding from the data center to the optical transport network.

Of course, many other engaging topics were discussed at the show, including FTTx, silicon photonics (as mentioned by Stephen) and coherent networks, but we’ve covered the main bases. Stay tuned, more event coverage is on the way!