Portugal Telecom Collaborates with Corning Incorporated for Fiber-Optic Networks

Portugal Telecom, a global telecommunications operator and Corning Incorporated, an American glass manufacturer, ceramics and related materials, have signed an agreement to work together to develop, test, and implement innovative and advanced Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) technology solutions for Next-Generation Access (NGA) fiber optic networks in Portugal.

 

This collaboration is been initiated subsequently to the agreement that Portugal Telecom (News - Alert) recently signed with the Portuguese government and other telecommunications providers to develop a fiber optic network in the country. The goal is to enable access to next-generation services such as true high-speed Internet, voice, and HDTV based on a new network for up to 1.5 million Portuguese.

 

“Our main goal is to offer high-quality and cost-competitive services based on innovative and reliable fiber-based solutions,” said Zeinal Bava, chief executive officer at Portugal Telecom.

 

“To give our customers, both residential and corporate, the best services in the marketplace, we are establishing a number of leading edge partnerships. Corning (News - Alert) Incorporated is the world-leading supplier of fiber-based solutions, with a strong commitement to R&D, and thus we believe will add significant value for this great undertaking we are preparing to enter,” explained Bava.

 

As per the terms of this agreement, Corning will utilize its new ClearCurve product suite optimized for the European market in the Portugal Telecom solution. The new product suite is enabled by ClearCurve fiber which is more flexible than standard single-mode fiber.

 

Featuring Corning’s nanoStructures technology, ClearCurve optical fiber can be bent around very tight corners with virtually no signal loss while maintaining backward compatibility with the installed base of optical fiber. This fiber, as claimed by the company, enables the construction of rugged drop cables for multi-dwelling units which can be pulled through wall studs, stapled to wood and otherwise handled like copper communications cables.

 

Additionally, it also enables hardware and equipment for fiber optic networks that is smaller and more aesthetically pleasing.

 

“Portugal Telecom’s fiber-to-the-home investment demonstrates their technical leadership and their commitment to providing leading-edge technology solutions to customers,” said Wendell P. Weeks, chairman and chief executive officer of Corning Incorporated.

 

Weeks mentioned that this optical fiber technology will allow Internet users high-speed broadband access that will provide the true high definition and 3D interactive television experiences which will be demanded in the future.