Coherent High announces the general availability of the 100G ZR QSFP28-DCO transceiver

     Coherent is proud to announce the launch of its industry-leading 100G ZR QSFP28 digital Coherent Optics (DCO) transceiver, which is now in full production. Utilizing Coherent High's exclusive Steelerton digital signal Processor (DSP) technology, the 100G ZR QSFP28-DCO module sets a new benchmark in low power consumption, operating at an industry-leading 5 watts while being extremely compact. This innovative DSP is integrated with a cutting-edge silicon photonic optical front end and a power-optimized tunable laser based on a Coherent high sense indium phosphide platform. The combination of proprietary DSP and optical design demonstrates the benefits of vertical integration in terms of performance and scalability.

     "The launch of our 100G ZR QSFP28-DCO platform underscores our commitment to continuous innovation and differentiation in DSP and optical technology," Dr. Beck Mason, Coherent's executive vice President of Telecommunications, said, "We are excited about strong customer demand across multiple market segments and look forward to expanding commercial deployments with our global partners. This milestone is a testament to the dedication and expertise of our team."

     "Digital coherence technology is sinking to the edge to support the growing demand for greater bandwidth," "The Coherent 100G QSFP28 provides an opportunity for the industry to seamlessly upgrade existing 10G DWDM networks with 100G transceivers," said Vladmir Kozlov, CEO of LightCounting LLC. No need to redesign the network and allow reuse of existing 100G router and switch ports."

     "10G DWDM is widely deployed at the network edge, but operators are looking for higher bandwidth 100G solutions," Scott Wilkinson, principal analyst at Cignal AI, said: "Low-power QSFP28 is needed at the edge, and the Coherent 100ZR solution is expected to be the first choice for network upgrades. It provides span budget, ease of installation, and coherent dispersion tolerance for seamless integration with existing hardware. This solution allows operators to easily and cost-effectively increase capacity at the network edge by a factor of 10."

     "This transceiver sets a new benchmark in energy efficiency, consuming less energy than any other coherent solution on the market." "It enables operators to easily upgrade data rates from 10 Gbps to 100 Gbps for edge and access networks, while reducing capital expenditure and operating costs," said Christoph Glingener, chief technology officer at Adtran.

     The 100G ZR QSFP28-DCO supports the SFF-8636 and CMIS management interface standards, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of existing network infrastructures. Seamless upgrades on deployed QSFP28 equipment and 300 km dispersion tolerance make the 100G ZR QSFP-DCO a versatile solution. In addition, the integrated Flextune™ autotuning patented technology ensures a zero-touch configuration, significantly simplifying operators' operations and reducing deployment complexity.