Viavi expands fibre network test and measurement portfolio

Viavi Solutions has unveiled a range of fibre test and measurement products, in a launch that it says can enable service providers, colocation and hyperscale data centres, enterprises, and contractors to reduce costs, improve quality of service, and minimise downtime.

The range comprises optical power meters, fibre characterisation modules and an enhanced optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) solution.

It expands a fibre optic testing portfolio the company said it needed to address rapidly changing business and infrastructure needs, as networks expand and transform to meet tomorrow’s demands, new processes, tools and solutions.

In addition, the new stage in the evolution of the Viavi fibre portfolio is claimed to encompass all of the essential instruments, systems and software required to address today’s fastest-growing technologies and functional needs, providing end-to-end support for the construction, activation, monitoring and maintenance of fibre optic services.

Leading the slate is the OTDR solution, redesigned to deliver faster, more reliable measurements and user experience.

It has an improved, modern touch gesture interface, and guided, automated workflow enables simplified real-time operation to improve job quality control. Viavi said this ensures operational goals are achieved for technicians of any experience level.

The product is designed to allow the migration of fibre test capabilities across Viavi platforms, including T-BERD/MTS, OneAdvisor and CellAdvisor 5G. Fibre and service layer tests include basic fibre certification to automated bi-directional characterisation.

The SmartPocket V2 family allows service providers to improve technician speed and accuracy even as they deploy next-generation technologies.

“Since Corning invented optical fibre in 1970, we have been continually innovating fibre and connectivity solutions to transform today’s networks,” said Brian Rhoney, director of datacentre market development at the fibre pioneer. “As we enable providers to bring high-speed fibre closer to the user with next-generation technologies such as high-density cables, testing practices and tools also need continued transformation.”

“Service providers are under pressure to increase their fibre footprint, completing massive deployments – to homes, businesses, datacentres and 5G cell sites – while striving to maintain quality of experience and reduce operational expenses,” added Koji Okamoto, vice-president of fibre and access business at Viavi.

“The ability to capture faster, more reliable fibre test measurements with simple to use, automated solutions means that service providers can reduce contractor costs without sacrificing deployment pace or quality of experience, improving performance and operational efficiency for the life of the network.”

One such service provider that has deployed the Viavi testing solution is BT’s broadband provision division Openreach, which has just revealed it is using the Viavi optical network monitoring system (ONMSi) to accelerate its full-fibre broadband deployment, and enhance the quality of its build and experience for customers across the UK.

As it progresses with the build-out, Openreach selected Viavi’s ONMSi for the platform’s ability to address networks – from validating new construction, to performing pre-activation checks, to monitoring ongoing service – remotely, reducing the need for costly engineering visits.