Nortel and Uniphase Stretch Pump Laser Agreement
In response to a growing market for fiber amplifiers, Nortel Networks Optoelectronics Division has extended its existing 980-nm pump laser supply agreement with Uniphase Corp. Nortel manufactures pump modules for optical amplifiers used in dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) applications. For the past five years, Uniphase has been sole supplier of laser chips for the Nortel modules. Now the two companies have agreed to continue the contract for an additional three years, with an anticipated annual value to Uniphase in excess of US$10 million.
According to Nortel, the two companies have seen market demand for the 980-nm lasers more than double over the past year because of rapid growth in the DWDM optical amplifier market, and a growing trend of using as many as six high-power pump lasers per amplifier.