NeoPhotonics Completes Phase I of Plan to Increase Production of Narrow Linewidth Tunable Lasers (NLW-TL)
NLW-TL Critical to High Speed 40 and 100 Gbps Coherent Systems Used
for Metro and Long-Haul Optical Networks
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 7, 2012--
NeoPhotonics Corporation (NYSE: NPTN), a leading designer and
manufacturer of photonic integrated circuit, or PIC, based modules and
subsystems for bandwidth-intensive, high speed communications networks,
today announced that the company has completed the first phase in its
plan to significantly increase production capacity of narrow linewidth
tunable lasers (NLW-TL) in support of rapidly growing demand. The
Company has doubled NLW-TL output since initiating the production plan
in the fourth calendar quarter of 2011. Demand for these products has
outstripped industry capacity due to the rapid uptake of coherent
optical technology coupled with industry supply constraints attributable
to the flooding in Thailand in 2011.
“With the flooding in Thailand, the supply of Narrow Linewidth Tunable
Lasers has become a limiting factor in the shipment of 40 and 100 Gbps
coherent optical transport systems,” said Tim Jenks, Chairman and CEO of
NeoPhotonics. “Accordingly, we have stepped up our production to help
satisfy this critical need. Since we first announced our expansion
plans, we have added seven additional customers and are engaged with
several more. Our first phase capacity expansion is now full and we are
again expanding to help meet industry requirements. We expect the growth
in demand for NLW-TLs to continue for the next several years in concert
with the rapid adoption of coherent transport technology.”
NeoPhotonics NLW-TLs are compact, widely-tunable and narrow linewidth
assemblies with up to 35mW launch power in the C band and 20mW in the L
band. Narrow linewidths are designed to facilitate digital signal
processing, which is used in coherent optical transmission to analyze
the incoming signal when it is mixed with a local oscillator laser in a
coherent receiver. Coherent transmission is capable of increasing the
bandwidth of an optical channel from 10 Gbps to 100Gbps, and is designed
to enable carriers to add “backbone” network capacity economically and
accommodate the surge of wireline and wireless broadband services
hitting the network. The narrow linewidth and frequency stability of the
NeoPhotonics NLW-TL are enabled by a phase-shifted DFB laser chip and
proprietary packaging technology, and the laser assembly includes an
integrated wavelength locker as well as electrical and firmware
interfaces.
About NeoPhotonics
NeoPhotonics is a leading designer and manufacturer of photonic
integrated circuit, or PIC, based modules and subsystems for
bandwidth-intensive, high-speed communications networks. The company’s
products enable cost-effective, high-speed data transmission and
efficient allocation of bandwidth over communications networks.
NeoPhotonics maintains headquarters in San Jose, California and ISO
9001:2000 certified engineering and manufacturing facilities in Silicon
Valley and Shenzhen, China. NeoPhotonics has been included in the
Russell 3000® Index since its reconstitution in June 2011.
For additional information, visit www.neophotonics.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Readers are
cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and
may differ materially from actual future events or results. These
forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, as well as
assumptions and current expectations. The company’s actual results and
the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in
such forward-looking statements as a result of these risks,
uncertainties and assumptions. The risks and uncertainties that could
cause the company’s results to differ materially from those expressed or
implied by such forward-looking statements include but are not limited
to: acceptance by customers of narrow linewidth tunable laser products
and coherent technology systems or the timing of such acceptance may not
be as the company expects; the timing of or costs related to the
expansion of capacity for production and output levels of narrow
linewidth tunable lasers may not be as the company expects; the demand
for narrow linewidth tunable laser products and coherent technology
systems may be volatile or lower than the company expects and its
production capacity may be underutilized; the impact of flooding in
Thailand may not be as the company expects; demand for narrow linewidth
tunable laser products could decrease from the company’s expectations
due to general conditions in the telecommunications equipment industry,
the capacity of third parties providing similar products or the world
economy generally, and other risks and uncertainties described more
fully in the company’s documents filed with or furnished to the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
Source: NeoPhotonics Corporation
LouVan Communications Inc. Michael Newsom, +1 508-541-9036 Mobile:
+1 617-803-5385 mike@louvanpr.com
