Calient Networks is starting a new chapter as it brings its core optical network technology to access networks.

The optical equipment vendor today introduced a new product, a crossconnect focused on fiber access networks. The DiamondWave FiberConnect, generally available early next year, has 320 by 320 fiber ports and uses microelectrical mechanical systems (MEMS), a technology that moves tiny tilting mirrors to switch optical traffic in core networks.

Calient is offering its fiber optic crossconnect as a replacement for the patch panels in today’s central offices. And the company says it’s able to bring MEMS to access networks because the cost of the technology has dropped by an order of magnitude (a factor of 10) in the past two years.

“We’re talking about putting in the fiber optic crossconnect for same cost as patch panels,” said Steffen Koehler, Calient’s marketing director. “We’ve been working in this for seven years, so we’ve done a lot to beat the cost out of the design.”

The new product should help carriers pinpoint problems in fiber access networks from the network operations center (NOC), without dispatching a technician to test parts of the network in the field, Calient said. When problems occur, the operator in the NOC can use the system’s management software to switch various points in the network over to third-party testing equipment, which is already installed on spare ports (moving those tiny mirrors remotely to make the switch).

“What used to take hours and hours and required you to get a technician out of bed, we can now do in 3 minutes,” Koehler said.

The new product is available on a limited basis today and has already successfully passed one Bell company’s field trial, Calient said.

Though the company will continue to support its core network products, “99% of [Calient’s] efforts” will now be focused on the new product, Koehler said.