Lightera to Present Advances in Optical Amplification and Multicore Fiber Transmission at ECOC 2026

Technical presentations highlight progress in high-power BDFAs and 52.8 Tb/s unrepeatered transmission over multicore fiber

MALAGA, Spain, September 17, 2026 — Lightera, a global leader in optical fiber and connectivity solutions, will showcase a wide range of innovations at its booth during the European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC) 2026 in Málaga, Spain. Among the technologies and solutions on display, the company will highlight two areas of its latest research at the ECOC technical conference: high-power bismuth-doped fiber amplifiers (BDFAs) and high-capacity transmission using multicore fiber (MCF).

Vitaly Mikhailov — “Reaching High Power with BDFAs”

Sunday, 20 September
2:50 PM
A2 Auditorium 2

Vitaly Mikhailov will discuss advances in bismuth-doped fiber amplifier technology and approaches for achieving higher optical output power. The work explores the continued development of BDFAs as the industry investigates new amplification technologies to support expanded transmission capabilities and future optical network architectures.

Benyuan Zhu — “Real-time 52.8 Tb/s (26.4 Tb/s/core) Unrepeatered Transmission over 303.4 km of Uncoupled 2-core MCF” — Mo3-G6/309

Monday, 21 September
3:15 PM
C2.2 Conference Room 2.2

Benyuan Zhu will present research demonstrating real-time 52.8 Tb/s aggregate transmission—26.4 Tb/s per core—over 303.4 km of uncoupled two-core multicore fiber without intermediate optical repeaters. The work highlights the potential of space-division multiplexing and multicore fiber to increase transmission capacity while extending the capabilities of optical infrastructure.

“These presentations demonstrate the depth of innovation taking place across Lightera as we work to advance both the fiber and optical technologies required for the next generation of communications networks,” said Jeff Nicolson, Director Lightera Laboratories. “By combining advances in amplification, multicore fiber and transmission technologies, we are helping address the industry’s need for greater capacity, reach and network efficiency.”

About Lightera

Lightera is a global leader in optical fiber and connectivity solutions. Built on a legacy of expertise in optical science, we provide high-performance solutions that enable faster, more reliable, and sustainable connections for businesses, communities, and industries worldwide.

With operational headquarters in Norcross, Georgia, U.S.A., Lightera serves customers across telecommunications, enterprise, industrial, generative AI, data centers, 5G/6G, utilities, medical, aerospace, defense, and sensing markets.

Lightera is part of Furukawa Electric Group, a pioneer in advancing the next generation of infrastructure through integrated solutions in connectivity, information, energy, and mobility, to create a safe, peaceful, and sustainable world.

Please visit lightera.com

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Lightera PR Contact:
Sherry Salyer
Sherry.salyer@lightera.com