Despite the greater efficiency of the newer networks of the hyperscalers, as their infrastructure continues to grow in size, they will gradually start grappling with similar problems (although not necessarily even close to the same…
While Ciena’s historic record for acquiring companies has left a lot to be desired, its most recent buyout of Packet Design was a shrewd move. In contrast, Infinera, which at quite a late date, ostensibly…
fibeReality expressed our point of view that if COBO ever happens, it would be in the form of Co-Packaged Optics (CPO). In our opinion, it is also instructive to closely examine both COBO’s historic relevance…
In an article published this month, Finisar’s CEO, Michael Hurlston said: “To be truthful, I didn’t know much about optics.” Certainly, by now, such a revelation would not be news to anybody in the industry,…
Research on MultiCore Fiber (MCF) was first conducted almost four decades ago. It is definitely a real and a cool technology, and a user could eventually purchase greater capacity and density, including more optical communication…
While fibeReality is willing to double down on our wakeup call to the hyperscale data center operators on the need for them to help reconstruct an optical ecosystem for development efforts on 4x100GbE for the…
There is a mystery concerning stranded capacity as Broadcom’s StrataXGS Tomahawk 3 next-gen switching chipset offers quite a bit of bandwidth with a total capacity of 12.8 terabytes. The problem is in imagining how it…
When it comes to the critical development efforts for 400GbE, the big-four hyperscale data center operators do not appear to be doing much more than going through their usual motions. Despite their undeniable role in…
Recently, fibeReality has written about the latest catchphrase in the optics space, co-packaged optics, and mentioned the potential challenges with expense and yield, as well as other alternatives. In looking at the case for the…
Right now, it seems that Lumentum’s primary challengers for VCSELs for 3D Sensing (3DS) applications for use in Apple’s iPhones will probably remain both Finisar and II-VI indefinitely. We strongly suspect that this large customer…
With eventually five or more six-inch VCSEL fab manufacturers playing in the worldwide 3D sensing space, the generation of impressive margins will get increasingly tougher, as they are vying for what is currently only a…
We recently looked at the negative ramifications for VCSEL vendors supplying Apple for 3D Sensing (3DS) purposes, as the iPhone supplier has transformed the business to one, which is quite commodity-like in nature. However, there…
At least a few analysts on the Street are asking: Why is the time for Finisar and II-VI seemingly so extended out for a considerable ramp-up in production of 3D-sensing VCSEL bare die? After all,…
While we have recently pointed out that co-packaged optics will not be the great enabler of Silicon Photonics (SiPh), the concept of markedly shortening the distance between the switch and discrete optics could potentially be…
The optics industry is approaching 50 years since the concept of Silicon Photonics (SiPh) was mentioned for the first time. During an upsurge in excitement over the technology in 2014, we were accused by one…
In June, this writer was honored to be a keynote speaker at EPIC’s meeting on “Singlemode vs Multimode Communication” in Kessel-Lo, Belgium. Our preliminary judgement is that we are cautiously optimistic about the prospects for…
Despite Infinera’s claims of significant integration between the two product lines, its purchase of Coriant is really about the continuing shortcomings of its PIC strategy, as well as its desire to remain an optical system…
Despite the evident busting of the optical ecosystem, many of the analysts on the Street apparently continue to hold a special place in their hearts for Lumentum, mainly because of the current lead it has…
All of the previous, unusual amount of commotion going on in the telecom/datacom optical market has been further complicated with the ban on sales to ZTE. Yet, it cannot be ruled out that there may…
During the first Market Watch panel at OFC 2018, MKM Partners’ Mike Genovese, one of a relatively few prominent investment analysts, who has real intimacy with the optical space, said that “he believes that companies,…
During the Q&A session at the OIDA Executive Forum two years ago, this writer asked a Microsoft executive whether his company, was being too clever by half in making demands, such as open line systems,…
Ingrained in the “Nortel” legacy in high-end optics at Ciena is the obsession to jump to the next bit rate as soon as possible, at a minimum from a marketing perspective. In the distant past,…
For a while (we mentioned a cloud bubble for components in April, 2015), fibeReality has been discussing the idea of a collapsing optical ecosystem principally as a result of the efforts of the hyperscale data…
Will Finisar engage in all of this development work on VCSEL bare die in its new fab in Texas just to take advantage of it for 3D-sensors applications? Why should not the vendor strive harder…
Evidently, Oclaro is starting to think outside the box in selecting Walter Jankovic as its new President, Optical Connectivity, as he was formerly with Contract Manufacturer (CM), Celestica. It seems to indicate that Oclaro’s confidence…
