Applied Optoelectronics Announces Availability of 25G Cooled LWDM Lasers

Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (Nasdaq: AAOI), a leading provider of fiber-optic access network products for the internet datacenter, cable broadband, telecom and fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) markets, today announced the availability of 25 Gbps local area network-wavelength division multiplexing (LWDM) cooled transistor outline (TO) packaged laser diodes for 5G front-haul applications.

In emerging 5G networks, the front-haul link is the critical fiber-optic segment between the antenna unit (radio head) and the remotely located base station, from which connections to the wider telecommunications network emanate.  The 25G LWDM solution for 5G front-haul allows for sharing of the existing fiber infrastructure, reducing 5G network deployment costs, saving fiber resources, and improving 5G performance.  Because the remote radio heads are often installed outdoors in environmentally challenging locations, the ability to operate reliably over a wide operating temperature range is critical.  AOI’s 25G LWDM TO-Cans operate at industrial temperatures between -40°C and +85°C with low power consumption.  These devices are housed in a temperature controlled, hermetically sealed TO format.  The output power can exceed 9dBm and an eye mask margin (EMM) of greater than 30% is achievable with the IEEE 802.3cc standard eye mask.

“As we begin to see widespread deployment of advanced 5G mobile communications networks in 2020, we believe that AOI’s ability to supply the needed LWDM channels and quantities of high-performance laser diodes is an important consideration for our customers,” comments David Chen, AOI’s AVP and Senior Director of Product Management.  “Our proprietary laser fabrication process and in-house epitaxy, fabrication, and packaging operations allow us to develop new varieties of laser diodes with the needed temperature operating parameters, and also rapidly transition these devices into high-volume production to meet our customers’ needs.”

These devices are currently available for sample requests.  For more information, please contact the AOI sales team at [e-mail].

About Applied Optoelectronics

Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AOI) is a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced optical products, including components, modules and equipment. AOI's products are the building blocks for broadband fiber access networks around the world, where they are used in the internet datacenter, CATV broadband, telecom and FTTH markets. AOI supplies optical networking lasers, components and equipment to tier-1 customers in all four of these markets. In addition to its corporate headquarters, wafer fab and advanced engineering and production facilities in Sugar Land, TX, AOI has engineering and manufacturing facilities in Taipei, Taiwan and Ningbo, China. For additional information, visit www.ao-inc.com. 

Media Inquiries: Willis Chen [phone] [e-mail]