Orange has selected Irish firm Firecomms to deliver its OptoLock transceiver as a key component of the Plastic Optical Fibre (PFOF) home networking solution it is currently deploying.

Orange has cited technical performance, simplicity of installation, and discreet design as some of the benefits of the POF kit.  According to its field trials, 98% of users expressed "deep satisfaction" with the technology.  The design of OptoLock enables the fibre to be cut and terminated to the required length on site, enabling consumers to quickly and easily terminate the bare optical fibre themselves.

POF is believed to be enjoying significant growth in home networks and point-to-point interconnection, and the annual POF market is predicted to reach over US$ 2.5bn in 2011, according to market research by Information Gatekeepers.