Unicom trials ADVA’s G.metro technology

China Unicom has completed a field trial of ADVA Optical Networking’s prototype G.metro (WDM-PON) technology in a fronthaul network.

The operator demonstrated the use of a prototype technology involving using a single bidirectional fiber link between head-end and tail-end equipment during a lab demonstration in Beijing.

The prototype uses autonomous transponders to help reduce the costs and complexity involved in metro access network applications.

“Due to booming demand for mobile data, it’s become essential that we find innovative ways to increase capacity. Converged metro-access networks are key to this, but so are reducing complexity and improving operational efficiency,” China Unicom network technology research institute director Guangquan Wang commented.

“During the trial, the prototype was installed in one of our central offices in Tianjin to replace the transmission link of one of our working LTE stations. The results showed that the new technology integrated seamlessly with our current wireless equipment and had no impact on services whatsoever.”

G.metro directly distributes DWDM wavelengths to remote radio units, base stations, desktops or end users, enabling up to 40 DWDM wavelength channels with a 100GHz grid. Each channel is able to transmit data at 10Gbps over a 20km fiber distance without optical amplification.