Windstream Joins Open ROADM Forum for Innovation

By: Windstream Holdings via Business Wire

September 13, 2021 at 09:30 AM EDT

Multi-source agreement aims to make optical network gear compatible across vendors

Windstream, a leading provider of advanced optical solutions, today announced it has been elected to Open ROADM, a multi-source agreement forum that defines compatibility standards for optical networking gear. Windstream continues to be a strong advocate for open standards as demonstrated with its own Intelligent Converged Optical Network (ICON) architecture, which leverages the advantages of a disaggregated network architecture with multi-vendor open line system scalability and alien wave support.

“Windstream is honored to be joining the distinguished group of service providers and vendors that make up Open ROADM,” said Art Nichols, vice president of network architecture and technology. “We share the belief that the best way network providers can drive faster innovation is to introduce openness and programmability into all areas of the network, including the optical arena. Much has already been accomplished by Open ROADM to reduce vendor lock-in and drive multi-vendor efficiencies in the optical domain, but there’s still a great deal of work to do and we look forward to contributing to that important effort.”

Nichols said Windstream is focused on driving innovation in the disaggregated L0/L1 solutions at the very edge of carrier networks; contributing to transceiver interoperability, in both greenfield and brownfield environments; managing tradeoffs between proprietary performance/efficiency and openness/interoperability; and developing software solutions for managing open networks.

“We will continue to demonstrate our leadership position in optical networking, and joining a Forum like Open ROADM will enhance that path forward,” said Buddy Bayer, Windstream’s chief network officer.

About Windstream

Windstream Holdings is a privately held communications and software company. Windstream offers managed communications services, including SD-WAN and UCaaS, and high-capacity bandwidth and transport services to businesses across the U.S. The company also provides premium broadband, entertainment and security services through an enhanced fiber network to consumers and small and midsize businesses primarily in rural areas in 18 states. Additional information is available at windstream.com or windstreamwholesale.com. Follow us on Twitter at @Windstream.