Adtran plays key role in OIF’s OFC 2026 interoperability demo with FSP 3000 OLS, ZR+ coherent plugs and domain controller

News summary:

• Live OIF demo brings together 40 companies to highlight real-world multi-vendor operation across open optical networks
• Showcase demonstrates interoperable 100G, 400G and 800G ZR+ transport over open line systems with multi-domain control
• Adtran's ZR+ pluggables feature across both the OIF demo and plugfest, highlighting their role in open, multi-vendor deployments at scale

Adtran today announced it's playing a key role in the OIF's multi-vendor interoperability demo at OFC 2026. The showcase brings together 40 member companies, highlighting real-world operation across open optical networks. It validates multi-vendor 100Gbit/s, 400Gbit/s and 800Gbit/s ZR+ coherent pluggable transceivers operating over open line systems. Featuring Adtran's FSP 3000 OLS, coherent ZR+ pluggable optics and Mosaic Network Controller, the setup extends previous years' configurations to include C- and L-band operation and multi-layer domain control. Adtran's 800Gbit/s ZR+ pluggables also feature in the OIF plugfest, reinforcing their role in large-scale, multi-vendor environments.

"Interoperability is the foundation that enables open optical networks to scale with confidence, and this OIF demo illustrates how that plays out in practice," said Christoph Glingener, CTO of Adtran. "The showcase demonstrates how multi-vendor ecosystems can operate reliably as speeds increase and architectures become more disaggregated. By validating multi-vendor, multi-speed pluggable optics alongside open line systems and domain control in a live environment, the demo shows that IPoDWDM networks have reached a new level of maturity. This gives operators the flexibility to source technology more openly, integrate faster and manage complexity more effectively as networks evolve to support AI-driven applications and DCI requirements."

The demo features Adtran's CMIS-managed coherent ZR+ pluggable transceivers delivering 100Gbit/s, 400Gbit/s and 800Gbit/s with 0dBm output power. Implemented in industry-standard QSFP28 (100ZR+) and QSFP-DD (400ZR+ and 800ZR+) form factors, the optics enable host-agnostic deployment into routers and testers, as well as across open line systems from multiple vendors. Transceivers from third-party vendors operate over the FSP 3000 OLS, which is configured for a multi-span link of up to 300km using SMF-28 fiber and operating across both C- and L-bands. The setup also integrates Adtran's Mosaic Network Controller software for management and control into a hierarchical multi-vendor control environment.

"This year's OIF showcase and plugfest underscore how far open networking has progressed as a foundational architectural approach," commented Ryan Schmidt, GM of optical transport at Adtran. "For me, there are two key highlights. Firstly, our Mosaic Network Controller is playing a central role in a hierarchical, multi-vendor control scheme, exchanging information with other vendors' controllers to support coordinated operations across optical and control layers. Secondly, the demo and plugfest bring together our 100Gbit/s, 400Gbit/s and 800Gbit/s pluggables, highlighting their seamless interoperability in multi-vendor ecosystems. Together, this shows that open, standards-based architectures are ready for deployment at scale across AI-era networks."