HUBER+SUHNER acquires wavelength-selective switch startup

HUBER+SUHNER, a fiber optic cable manufacturer for the industrial, communication, and transportation markets, acquired ROADMap Systems , a technology startup that develops wavelength-selective switch (WSS) technology. ROADMap Systems is located in Cambridge, England. It will be integrated into HUBER+SUHNER’s Polatis (HUBER+SUHNER’s all-optical switching platform) business unit within its communication segment at the HUBER+SUHNER facility in Cambridge.

WSS devices are used in optical transport networks to transparently route optical data traffic. ROADMap Systems develops highly integrated WSS technology that uses software-defined 2D holograms to steer individual wavelengths between optical fibers. The approach aims to better enable equipment manufacturers and service providers to benefit from new optical architectures that enhance flexibility and resilience and reduce costs though simplified network operations.

The limited functionality of current WSS components restricts the scalability of reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) architectures to address future network demands.