Adtran confirmed its participation in OIF’s live interoperability demonstration at ECOC 2026. Consequently, the event will take place from September 21 to 23 in Málaga, Spain. This showcase brings together 39 member companies. As a result, it highlights how open optical networking, pluggable coherent transceivers and network control tools function within a shared multi-vendor environment.
Adtran is contributing several key technologies to the demo. Specifically, the company is providing 100Gbit/s, 400Gbit/s and 800Gbit/s ZR+ pluggables. Additionally, its FSP 3000 open line system operates across both C- and L-bands. Furthermore, Adtran’s Mosaic Network Controller software rounds out its contribution. Before the event, Adtran also hosted the OIF test run in Gdynia, Poland. Therefore, participating companies could validate interoperability ahead of the live showcase.
Why Open Optical Networking Matters for AI-Era Capacity
AI workloads are pushing network capacity requirements higher than ever. However, operators still need flexibility alongside that scale.
Christoph Glingener, CTO of Adtran, addressed this challenge directly. “AI-driven demand is putting huge pressure on networks to scale, but operators shouldn’t have to trade flexibility for capacity,” said Glingener. “It’s no longer enough to show that individual technologies can interoperate. The focus now is on proving that optical transport, coherent pluggables and software control can work together as an operational ecosystem. The more we validate those interactions, the easier it becomes for operators to introduce innovation, reduce integration risk and keep their options open as requirements change.”
Meanwhile, the OIF showcase features Open optical networking Adtran’s CMIS-managed coherent ZR+ transceivers. These deliver 100Gbit/s, 400Gbit/s and 800Gbit/s speeds with 0dBm output power. Moreover, the FSP 3000 OLS provides open transport across multiple bands. Meanwhile, Mosaic Network Controller functions as the domain controller within the demo’s hierarchical architecture.
Collaboration Drives Real-World Deployment Confidence
Ryan Schmidt, GM of optical transport at Adtran, emphasized the value of joint testing.
“Open networking only moves forward when companies are prepared to do the work together,” commented Schmidt. “Joint validation, from early testing through to live multi-vendor demonstrations, gives operators the confidence to deploy open optical architectures in real-world networks. That collaboration is becoming increasingly vital as optical architectures grow more open and more distributed. Ultimately, operators need to know they can choose the right technology for each part of their network without giving up simplicity, performance or the freedom to evolve.”
Overall, OIF’s ECOC 2026 demo spans optical, Open optical networking electrical and management interfaces. Thus, it covers Optical Systems, 448G and 224G Common Electrical I/O, CMIS, Co-Packaging and Energy Efficient Interfaces. Ultimately, this collaborative effort accelerates scalable networks built for the AI era.
Explore IT Tech News for the latest advancements in Information Technology & insightful updates from industry experts!
News Source: Businesswire.com
