The new 3M Expanded Beam Optical Connector System is a scalable single and multimode interconnect system for data centre applications.
Corning has agreed to buy substantially all of 3M’s Communication Markets Division to for $900 million in cash. The deal is part of the company’s strategy to spend $1 billion to $3 billion in acquisitions, Corning said.
3M’s communications business, which has annual global sales of about $400 million, consists of optical fibre and copper passive connectivity products for the telecom industry – including xDSL, FTTx and structured cabling systems – and, in certain countries, telecom system integration services.
3M has launched its latest generation of BPEO splice closures for fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) distribution networks. (BPEO is an abbreviation of boite protection environmental optique, a name that has been known within the industry for more than a decade.)
Providing fast and consistent quality of installation, the new BPEO product family aims to bring FTTH network cabling projects within reach of a far wider range of suppliers, without needing to always depend on highly qualified fibre-optic engineers.
Cabling infrastructure will be vital in the deployment of 5G networks, meaning that the wireless will still depend on wires, says Jean-Jacques Sage
Jeremy Wastie takes a look at the challenges associated with procurement, and explains why connectivity in the UK does not have to be a postcode lottery
Power over Ethernet (PoE) could help service providers adapt to the opportunity provided by IoT in order to remain competitive, argues Ankit Agarwal
Network core flexibility will become just as important as capacity for future networks, and coherent solutions could be key to accommodating changing traffic flows, argues Eugene Park
Scott Modha takes a look at how the right technique goes a long way, and network operators could benefit from simplified microduct network deployments
