Coherent Announces Industry’s First L-Band 800G ZR/ZR+ Pluggable Transceivers

Rhea-AI Summary

Coherent Corp. (NYSE: COHR) has announced the industry's first L-band 800 Gbps coherent pluggable transceiver in a QSFP-DD form factor. This innovative product will be showcased at ECOC 2024 in Frankfurt, Germany. The new standardized 800G ZR/ZR+ pluggable module allows disaggregation, supporting an open ecosystem in a smaller and more efficient form factor.

Key features include:

• Expansion from C-band to L-band, doubling fiber capacity from 32 Tbps to 64 Tbps
• High optical output power for best-in-class transmission performance
• Availability in both QSFP-DD and OSFP form factors
• Cost reduction of more than 400% by eliminating additional optical equipment
• Customer sampling to begin in Q4 2024

Positive

• Introduction of industry's first L-band 800 Gbps coherent pluggable transceiver
• Doubling of fiber capacity from 32 Tbps to 64 Tbps
• Cost reduction of more than 400% by eliminating additional optical equipment
• High optical output power for best-in-class transmission performance
• Availability in both QSFP-DD and OSFP form factors

Negative

• None.

Technology Analyst

Coherent's introduction of the industry's first L-band 800G ZR/ZR+ pluggable transceiver marks a significant leap in optical networking technology. This innovation doubles fiber capacity from 32 Tbps to 64 Tbps, addressing the escalating bandwidth demands of hyperscale data centers and telecom carriers. The shift from proprietary systems to standardized modules promotes an open ecosystem, potentially reducing costs by over 400%.

The new transceiver's ability to support both C-band and L-band transmission with high optical output power is a game-changer. It enables direct coherent interfaces on routers and switches, eliminating the need for additional optical equipment. This advancement is particularly important as L-band ROADM shipments have nearly doubled in the past year, indicating a rapidly growing market for L-band pluggable coherent transceivers.

Coherent's use of indium phosphide technology in their IC-TROSA offers significant advantages in cost, power, size and performance compared to silicon photonics-based alternatives. This technological edge could position Coherent as a leader in the evolving landscape of high-speed optical networking.

Financial Analyst

Coherent's launch of the L-band 800G ZR/ZR+ pluggable transceiver represents a strategic move to capture a growing market segment. The potential cost reduction of over 400% for customers is a compelling value proposition that could drive significant adoption and revenue growth for Coherent.

The timing of this product launch aligns well with market trends, as evidenced by the doubling of L-band ROADM shipments in the past year. This suggests a strong demand trajectory that Coherent is well-positioned to capitalize on. The company's ability to offer both C-band and L-band solutions gives it a competitive edge in serving diverse customer needs.

Coherent's investment in proprietary indium phosphide technology demonstrates a commitment to innovation that could yield long-term financial benefits. By offering superior performance and cost-efficiency, Coherent may be able to command premium pricing and potentially increase its market share in the high-speed optical networking sector.

Market Research Analyst

The introduction of Coherent's L-band 800G ZR/ZR+ pluggable transceiver is well-timed to meet the surging demand for increased bandwidth in data center interconnect (DCI) and telecom networks. With L-band transmission becoming essential, Coherent is positioning itself at the forefront of a rapidly expanding market segment.

The endorsement from Juniper Networks, a major player in the networking industry, lends credibility to Coherent's solution and suggests potential for strong market adoption. The ability to double the capacity of existing fiber plants without major infrastructure overhauls is a compelling proposition for network operators looking to scale quickly and efficiently.

The move towards disaggregation and open ecosystems in optical networking aligns with broader industry trends favoring flexibility and cost-efficiency. Coherent's solution, supporting various line modulation formats and reaching capabilities, caters to diverse market needs. This versatility, combined with the product's impressive specifications, positions Coherent to potentially capture a significant share of the growing market for high-speed, high-capacity optical networking solutions.

Image 1: 800G QSFP-DD coherent pluggable transceiver.

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Coherent Corp. (NYSE: COHR), a leader in high-speed optical networking technology, today announced the industry’s first L-band 800 Gbps coherent pluggable transceiver in a QSFP-DD form factor. This innovative product will be showcased at ECOC 2024 in Frankfurt, Germany, Sept. 23-25, 2024.

Hyperscale data centers and telecom carriers require solutions to expand fiber capacity at lower costs. By expanding from C-band to L-band, fiber capacity can double from 32 Tbps to 64 Tbps. Historically, L-band has been supported with proprietary systems from network equipment manufacturers. The new standardized 800G ZR/ZR+ pluggable module from Coherent now allows disaggregation, supporting an open ecosystem in a smaller and more efficient form factor.

“Building on the success of the world’s first C-band 140 GBaud IC-TROSA, Coherent has successfully extended the technology to the L-band with our new pluggable module,” said Dr. Beck Mason, Executive Vice President, Telecommunications. “We now feature both C-band and L-band 800G coherent transceivers with high optical output power, which delivers best-in-class transmission performance. We continue to advance the state of the art of optical transmission in core networks by leveraging the inherent capabilities of our indium phosphide technology platform to benefit our end customers.”

“With the ever-growing bandwidth demands of DCI and telecom networks, L-band transmission has become essential,” said Kyle Hollasch, Lead Analyst for Transport Hardware at Cignal AI. “L-band ROADM shipments have nearly doubled over the past 12 months, and hyperscale DCI requirements are poised to grow the market for L-band pluggable coherent transceivers even more rapidly.” 

With the availability of L-band 800G ZR/ZR+ transceivers in both QSFP-DD and OSFP form factors, Coherent enhances the capacity and performance coverage of IP-over-DWDM (dense wavelength division multiplexing) applications. These modules enable coherent interfaces directly on routers and switches, eliminating the need for additional optical equipment, thus reducing costs by more than 400%.

The 800G ZR/ZR+ transceiver leverages the Coherent L-band 140 Gbaud IC-TROSA-integrated coherent optical subassembly, which features a high-efficiency, internally designed and manufactured indium phosphide modulator and receiver combined with an embedded wavelength-tunable laser. This delivers compelling cost, power, size, and performance advantages compared with L-band implementations based on silicon photonics, which need micro-EDFAs, adding cost and power dissipation and consuming precious real estate in compact form factors such as QSFP-DD.

“Driven by emerging data-hungry applications, the rapid adoptions of Generative AI solutions, and ubiquitous video consumption from any place and device, we marvel at the relentless trajectory of bandwidth consumption,” said AE Natarajan, Executive Vice President, Chief Development Officer, Juniper Networks. “Adding L-band 800 ZR/ZR+ pluggable solutions to the toolbox, effectively doubling the capacity of existing fiber plants, is invaluable and reassuring to network operators. Fortunately, many operators had the foresight to deploy L-band-ready line systems, anticipating the future need to scale network capacity rapidly. By leveraging the QSFP-DD form factor, Coherent enables vendors like Juniper to deliver highly flexible and scalable IPoDWDM solutions that facilitate port-by-port configuration of 800G direct-detect and/or coherent optics, and now C-band or L-band DWDM optics, mitigating bottlenecks in a myriad of cloud and telecom use cases.”

Coherent will demonstrate the 800G L-band transceiver module in a PTX10002-36QDD Juniper router at ECOC 2024, showcasing the transceiver’s capabilities in an IP-over-DWDM configuration. The module is designed for various line modulation formats and supports 800 Gbps extended-reach, 600 Gbps, and 400 Gbps long-reach applications.

Customer sampling will begin in the fourth quarter of 2024.

About Coherent

Coherent empowers market innovators to define the future through breakthrough technologies, from materials to systems. We deliver innovations that resonate with our customers in diversified applications for the industrial, communications, electronics, and instrumentation markets. Headquartered in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania, Coherent has research and development, manufacturing, sales, service, and distribution facilities worldwide. For more information, please visit us at coherent.com.

Media Contact:

Amy Wilson
Manager, Corporate Communications & Investor Relations
corporate.communications@coherent.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d8f5f475-7634-4eb2-80fb-587476a1c8cd

FAQ

What is the new product announced by Coherent Corp. (COHR)?

Coherent Corp. (COHR) announced the industry's first L-band 800 Gbps coherent pluggable transceiver in a QSFP-DD form factor.

When will Coherent (COHR) begin customer sampling of the new 800G L-band transceiver?

Coherent (COHR) will begin customer sampling of the new 800G L-band transceiver in the fourth quarter of 2024.

How does the new L-band 800G ZR/ZR+ pluggable module from Coherent (COHR) impact fiber capacity?

The new L-band 800G ZR/ZR+ pluggable module from Coherent (COHR) allows expansion from C-band to L-band, doubling fiber capacity from 32 Tbps to 64 Tbps.

What cost reduction does Coherent's (COHR) new 800G ZR/ZR+ transceiver offer?

Coherent's (COHR) new 800G ZR/ZR+ transceiver enables cost reduction of more than 400% by eliminating the need for additional optical equipment.