Raman Amplification Expands Fiber Communications Capability
SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- SDL, Inc. (Nasdaq: SDLI) today
announced that its revolutionary RL30 Raman fiber laser module family has
successfully completed internal qualification to stringent Telcordia standards
for fiber amplifiers used in telecommunication systems. Qualifying this
technology to the Telcordia standards will give system vendors the ability to
use the RL30 in qualified terrestrial Raman amplifiers to meet the expanding
demand for telecommunications and Internet bandwidth. The award-winning RL30
product family, originally introduced at the Optical Fiber Conference in 1999,
is designed for use in advanced dense wavelength division multiplexed (DWDM)
systems that utilize distributed Raman amplification.
The RL30 fiber laser employs cladding pumped fiber technology which
differs from today's erbium doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs), allowing higher
power for longer transmission distances or higher data rates. The RL30
product family is currently being used in undersea systems, one of SDL's
fastest growing communications markets. Evaluation by terrestrial
telecommunications systems customers has continued in parallel with the
qualification process.
Qualification to the Telcordia standard is significant since it
demonstrates that the high power cladding pumped RL30 fiber technology can
meet the rigorous reliability standards of telecommunications applications.
The product qualification was based on Telcordia GR-1312-CORE, "Generic
Requirements for Optical Fiber Amplifiers and Proprietary DWDM Systems" and
consists of tests designed to confirm the reliability of the unit and its
components.
According to Greg Dougherty, SDL's Chief Operating Officer, "SDL is on the
forefront of pushing this new technology into telecommunications. We believe
this qualification is a critical step in enabling our customers to deploy our
Raman product lines in volume to address the heavy demand for bandwidth that
our customers are experiencing. Customers using distributed Raman
amplification are expected to benefit from higher data transmission rates and
lower noise which extends the distance telecommunications systems can
transmit. Raman amplification is expected to be a key enabling technology
that will allow deployment in very high bit rate (40Gb/sec) DWDM systems. In
addition, Raman amplification offers the potential of increased system data
capacity by allowing amplification between 1300 and 1650 nm, thereby
supporting a greater number of wavelength channels. We believe that
qualification of this product will spur its use in terrestrial fiber
communications systems."
SDL's products power the transmission of data, voice and Internet
information over fiber optic networks to meet the needs of telecommunications,
dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM), cable television and satellite
communications applications. They enable customers to meet the bandwidth
needs of increasing Internet, data, video and voice traffic by expanding their
fiber optic communications networks much more quickly and efficiently than
would be possible using conventional electronic and optical technologies.
SDL's optical products also serve a variety of non-communications
applications, including materials processing and printing. Additional
information about SDL, Inc. is available on the Internet at http://www.sdli.com .
Statements in this press release which are not historical including
statements regarding SDL's or management's intentions, hopes, beliefs,
expectations, representations, projections, plans or predictions of the future
are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include statements regarding
the potential applications for the RL30 fiber laser, the increased benefits
it offers to the company's customers by way of higher data transmission rates,
lower noise and increased system data capacity, the rigorous reliability
standards the RL30 fiber laser meets, the company's leading position in the
introduction of this technology, customer deployment in volume of this product
for undersea or terrestrial systems, and the market opportunities for this
product. It is important to note that the Company's actual results could
differ materially from those in any such forward-looking statements. Factors
that could cause actual results to differ materially include the company's
inability to achieve expected power and reliability levels in commercial
production quantities, customer qualification or manufacturing of the new
product, lack of market acceptance, alternative technologies, and the risk
factors listed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports including but
not limited to, the annual report on Form 10-K and 10-K/A for the year ended
January 1, 1999, and the quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended
March 31, June 30 and September 30, 1999.
For more information on SDL, Inc. at no cost, please call 800-PRO-INFO
(U.S.) or 908-544-2850 (Int'l), ticker symbol, SDLI.
SOURCE SDL, Inc.
 back to top
Related links:
http://www.sdli.com
CONTACT:
Donald R. Scifres, Chairman and CEO, or
Michael L. Foster, VP Finance and CFO, both of SDL, Inc.,
408-943-9411, or general, Lisa Horn Chainey, investors, Susan
Katz, or media, Scott Marx, all of The Financial Relations Board,
415-986-1591
|
