VIAVI Solutions introduces hollow core fiber test solution

VIAVI Solutions announced an all-in-one medium- and long-range bidirectional testing and certification solution for hollow core fiber, intended to address testing and certification needs for medium- and long-distance links.

The release described hollow core fiber as delivering lower latency, reduced chromatic dispersion and lower attenuation compared with single mode fiber, and it said the technology was being adopted for Data Center Interconnect (DCI) between hyperscale campuses for Artificial Intelligence (AI), high-frequency financial trading, quantum communication, defense and other applications. The release also noted that HCF projects required larger investments and expanded testing due to manufacturing and deployment costs and differing optical properties.

The offering implemented VIAVI's 8100 Series OTDR modules, optical dispersion measurement (ODM) modules and ReportPRO software, and it included proprietary HCF-specific algorithms for OTDR, dispersion testing and attenuation profiling. The company described the solution as capable of bidirectional OTDR, PMD, Continuous Deployment (CD) and Access Point (AP) testing and reporting for hollow core fiber links and said the solutions were hosted on VIAVI's OneAdvisor 800 Fiber platform.

The release said the efficacy of the solution was validated in trials with fiber manufacturers, specialist contractors and three leading hyperscalers, and that trials produced results over short-, mid- and long-distance links. The release added that few testing and certification options existed and that alternatives without the necessary OTDR performance or those using OTDR-based dispersion techniques could be limited to shorter distances.

“A key advantage of hollow core fiber is that it transmits data faster over longer distances. However, testing for splice quality, connector losses and fiber integrity requires a different approach with higher-performance test solutions,” said Kevin Oliver, Vice President and General Manager, Fiber and Access Solutions, VIAVI. “VIAVI's all-in-one offering has delivered strong results over short-, mid- and long-distance links in trials we'ca class=”a-l“ title=”Visualization Engine (VE)“ href=”https://decisioninsights.ai/term/visualization-engine-ve/“evec/ae held in collaboration with leading fiber manufacturers and hyperscalers, allowing them to protect these larger investments in HCF and ensure future ROI.”

The companies described plans to protect investments in hollow core fiber and to ensure future ROI.