XR Optics

XR optics is a revolutionary technology purpose-built to break the inherent limitations of traditional point-to-point optical transmission solutions. XR optics paves the way for disruptive network economics as 5G, fiber deep, and hyperscale cloud connectivity impose new challenges on operators. With game-changing innovation in coherent optical subcarrier aggregation, XR optics introduces a new pluggable and software-enabled architecture designed to radically reduce the cost of deploying and operating optical networks. XR optics enhances deployment flexibility as the same coherent pluggable can be software-configured to operate in point-to-point or point-to-multipoint configurations.

XR optics is an open technology initiative with the support of network operators, equipment manufacturers, and subsystem manufacturers.

Since the inception of optical networking, there has been a significant misalignment between actual traffic patterns at the network edge and the technology used to transport that traffic. Network traffic patterns at the edge of the network are overwhelmingly hub and spoke – i.e., numerous endpoints generate traffic that is aggregated by a small number of hub locations. In contrast, optical connectivity solutions have been implemented using strictly point-to-point technology. The result is an extremely inefficient transport architecture that requires large numbers of bookended transceivers, as well as numerous intermediate aggregation devices to up-speed traffic flows.

In addition to efficiently supporting point-to-point applications, XR optics provides the industry’s first scalable solution optimized for point-to-multipoint traffic flows. Built upon innovation in Nyquist subcarriers, XR optics enables a single transceiver to generate numerous lower-speed subcarriers that can be independently steered to different destinations. By supporting both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint configurations on the same coherent pluggable, XR optics enables network operators to enhance deployment flexibility and reduce sparing costs.

With XR optics, network operators will be positioned to dramatically reduce the number of transceivers in the network, eliminate the need for costly intermediate aggregation devices, and more efficiently optimize optical transport infrastructure for hub-and-spoke end-user traffic flows, resulting in TCO savings of 70% or more.

Infinera’s suite of vertically integrated ICE-X pluggables leverages XR optics technology to offer network operators the performance, scale, and efficiency critical to delivering differentiated 5G, enhanced broadband, and next-generation cloud and business services.