Infinera’s 500 Gb/s photonic integrated circuit (PIC) was recently named Best Optical Component Product Beyond 100G at the 2013 Next Generation Optical Networking Awards in Monaco. The company received a similar award last year for its 100 Gb/s PIC. The award recognizes achievements made by service and solutions providers in the optical networking industry. 500 Gb/s PICs are critical to Intelligent Transport Networks, which are deployed by 109 customers in 67 countries. Embedded in a DTN-X packet optical transport networking platform, PICs enable 500 Gb/s long-haul superchannels, which reduce complexity in carrier networks by simplifying the process of provisioning transmission capacity. “When first introduced, Infinera’s 100 Gb/s PICs changed the dynamics of the optical networking industry,” said Mark Showalter, senior director of corporate communications at Infinera. “Today, 500 Gb/s PICs are a key ingredient of the Intelligent Transport Network as operators advance into the Terabit Era.” The company’s PICs have exceeded 1 billion hours of operation in live networks without failure. Infinera’s indium phosphide technology-based PICs are the most innovative component available today, according to the judges of the award, saying that the company has dared to build a product different from any other on the market. For more information, visit: www.infinera.com