Test sets the tone for telecom quality

In a recent interview, Étienne Gagnon of EXFO discussed test solutions for telecom applications.

By Larry Maloney -- Test & Measurement World, 8/1/2008

Étienne Gagnon VP, Product Management and Marketing EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering Quebec City, QC, Canada Étienne Gagnon was appointed VP of product management and marketing at EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering in May 2003. In May 2007, he assumed responsibility for the company’s telecom business units—optical, transport, datacom, and access. As such, he is responsible for EXFO’s general marketing direction on both the product and communications levels. Gagnon is also responsible for the marketing communications of EXFO Service Assurance (formerly Brix Networks). He holds a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from the University of Montreal and a master’s in European business from the École Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications in France. Contributing editor Larry Maloney conducted a phone interview with Gagnon on test solutions for telecom applications.

Q: How tough is it for engineers and technicians to meet the testing demands of rapidly evolving broadband services?

A: It’s a very big challenge. The field is extremely fast moving, particularly in access technology, such as fiber to the home, fiber to the node, and triple-play services. Add to this the lack of uniform standards, interoperability issues among VDSL chipsets, and a shortage of skilled engineers and technicians to install and maintain networks.

Q: What is EXFO's niche within the global telecom industry?

A: Our job is to support network service providers, cable TV operators, and telecom system vendors as they cope with rapid growth. Early on, we focused on technology deployment in the field, particularly fiber-optic installation. But over the years we’ve broadened our mission to address telecom in general, including transport, datacom, and access. For all these applications, we provide easy-to-use test tools for the lab and the field. Our sweet spot continues to be engineers and technicians who install and maintain telecom networks, but we also support engineers at network equipment manufacturers.

Q: How will the acquisitions of Brix Networks and Navtel Communications expand EXFO's capabilities?

A: With its distributed, probe-based solutions, Brix Networks has proven experience in monitoring next-generation IP networks to ensure that voice, video, and data services are delivered with the quality of service (QoS) demanded by users. Navtel has specialized in testing emerging technologies, including next-generation IP networks that increasingly combine wireless and wireline systems. Its platforms perform several critical tests, such as capacity, performance, stress, and load testing, on switches, routers, and other devices from network equipment manufacturers. This acquisition will help EXFO expand into high-growth IMS (IP multimedia subsystem) and VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) test markets.

Q: What were your most significant product introductions of the last year?

A: One very significant introduction is the AXS-200 platform for assessing the quality of service of IP-based voice, video, and data services. This platform provides troubleshooting capability that includes both the service itself and network hardware. If you talk to carriers, you’ll find a tremendous need for this type of test solution, which helps to quickly resolve customer issues as they happen.

Another very successful product is the FTB-8130NG, a transport and datacom module for core networks and metro networks, especially ROADM (reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer) deployment. This one tester handles all the protocols in core networks, such as SONET, Datacom GigE, 10 GigE, and Fibre Channel. Finally, there’s the FTB-5700, an easy-to-use platform for analyzing dispersion in fiber, which is a critical issue with deployment of higher transmission rates in networks.

Q: What are some future telecom advances that will drive new test solutions at EXFO?

A: Triple-play deployment is still in its early stages, and delivery of those services will come not only from wireline operators but from cable TV operators and even wireless operators as they go into the field with 4G technology. To support all this, we’ll need to develop test solutions for very high transmission rates—40 Gig is just the beginning. Our future test modules also will need to service many different modulation formats, with 20 different modulation schemes already being pushed by vendors.

Read the continuation of this interview.