Open XR Forum Expands Membership with Global Tier 1 and Wireless Infrastructure Providers

Windstream Wholesale, a leading provider of advanced network solutions, and Infinera announced plans to collaborate on an initiative to transform Windstream’s optical network infrastructure. The modernized network will enable Windstream to offer innovative new connectivity services optimized to seamlessly support the hyperscale capacity growth of its customers. As part of Windstream’s Intelligent Converged Optical Network (ICON) initiative, this collaboration will leverage pioneering optical networking technologies to provide a new level of control, visibility, and automation to Windstream’s optical network.

The next-generation optical infrastructure is based on a revolutionary technology jointly pioneered by both Infinera and Windstream, called Node-on-a-Blade. This technology represents the next evolution of ROADM-based solutions that will provide a more advanced and cost-effective approach to optical networking enabling deployment across a wider variety of network locations. With advanced capabilities such as a coherent optical channel monitor and a coherent probe, Windstream’s ICON will provide a new level of rich optical analytics and control.

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This transformative approach to optical network architectures will enable the virtualization of private optical networks and facilitate the broad deployment of distributed compute resources, which will be critical to maximizing the power of 5G and cloud-based services. In addition to enabling seamless scalability and dynamic network connectivity, ICON will put an unprecedented level of control in the hands of Windstream’s customers.

“Node-on-a-Blade technology will be a powerful tool in the evolution and transformation of optical networks,” said Ron Johnson, general manager, Optical Systems and Network Solutions Group at Infinera. “Infinera is excited to work with Windstream to usher in a new era of optical networking capabilities and the services this new architecture will enable.”

“Networks and service offerings need to transform to provide better support for hyperscale customers as initiatives like distributed computing evolve,” said Art Nichols, vice president of architecture and technology at Windstream. “Key technologies such as Node-on-a-Blade and innovative partners like Infinera will be instrumental in enabling Windstream’s ICON vision to better support continued edge traffic growth and introduce a new class of hyperscale optimized network services that will provide unique value to our customers.”

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