Corvis makes its optical networks compatible with Juniper equipment

Corvis Corp., a Columbia fiber-optics equipment company, will announce today that its optical networks are compatible with Juniper Networks Inc.'s equipment, allowing it to create a faster, bigger network.

"This accelerates the deployment of optical technologies to make the Internet faster," said Shyam Jha, Corvis' vice president of marketing.

Juniper Networks provides routers that direct information through the Internet. With the new compatibility, its equipment can operate on Corvis' optical network at a rate of 10 gigabits per second, the highest commercial speed available, according to Carl Showalter, vice president of marketing for Juniper.

Cisco Systems Inc. and Avici Systems Inc. also can operate on Corvis' optical network, Jha said.

Max Schuetz, an optical communications analyst for Thomas Weisel Partners in San Francisco, said the announcement does not come as a surprise, and is a necessary step for Corvis.