Demand change: 5G new architecture, color light, 50G PAM4 are popular choices
From the perspective of the architecture evolution of 5G wireless carrier network, compared with 4G, 5G has evolved into prequel, middle and return architectures, and the requirements for optical modules have different characteristics.
In the 5G era, the transmission distance of the prequel to the optical module is required to be within 10km, and the industrial or even super-industrial temperature optical module is the prominent feature of the prequel. At present, it is mainly driven by fiber optic direct drive, and it will develop to color light in the future. Medium transmission requires a transmission distance of at least 10km, which can be met only by the commercial temperature optical module. Among them, 50G PAM4 may be a good choice. However, the return transmission requires a high transmission distance, which is more than 10km. Just like the middle transmission, the optical module with commercial temperature is required. The 100G / 200G / 400G optical module becomes the mainstream.
The 50G PAM4 technology has relatively high bandwidth, achieves low-cost applications that double the speed, and can adapt to the network cost and performance requirements of 5G. 50GE PAM4 coding technique and its optical module is based on existing 25G device platform development, mature technology, in addition to 50G optical module manufacturing platform and reuse existing product platform height, can quickly realize the mass production, meet the demand of mass delivery, so 50G PAM4 technology be 5G era building from the access, convergence to the core network is quite competitive solution.
Conclusion: opportunities and challenges coexist
1) The high-speed optical module will have Great opportunities for development, but it will also face technical and technological challenges;
2) Optical cable resources become strategic resources of operators and the proportion of color optical or BIDI modules will increase significantly;
3) 25G / 50G / 100G or higher speed modules will become the dominant;
4) To expand the industry chain of 5G optical module and build "China core" has become the top priority in China's communication industry.
