Alien wavelengths are commonplace today. Here a transponder pair from one optical system vendor connects to, and transmits over, the optical line system (OLS) – constituting fixed/reconfigurable multiplexer and amplification elements primarily – from another vendor. (While it can be technically feasible to pair transponders from different vendors, typically this is not done for commercial and operational reasons.)

My first three months as President and CEO of Ribbon have been a whirlwind by any standard. But also satisfying and invigorating. We have huge potential and expectations for our new company as the merger of Ribbon and ECI accelerates, even while managing the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. Like everyone, we have quickly adapted to the new normal and in many areas are even more productive than before.

Across the world, many network operators, fiber network wholesalers, municipalities, and local authorities are in a race to put fiber in the ground. New techniques and specialized tools have reduced the time it takes to deploy optical fiber and increased the amount of fiber held in a single duct, this makes the dream of providing fiber to every premise a cost-effective reality.