Critical issues in optical networking

Summary form only given. A transport network basically provides long-latency connections between service vehicles such as IP routers or voice switches. It is built upon optical technologies such as DWDM and optical cross-connects, SONET/SDH technologies such as cross-connects and add-drop multiplexers, and potentially IP or ATM devices. IP/ATM and optical technologies are advancing very rapidly on many fronts; however, to be successful a technical advance must find a real-world application, which for most optical technology means meeting some transport networking need in a more cost-effective way than its competition. To successfully position an innovation it is necessary to consider economic and network architecture issues as well as technical issues. This lecture, presented from the perspective of a large long distance telecommunications company, will look at optical networking from this perspective. Topics covered will include multi-vendor networks, optical transparency. Metro optical networks, optical cross-connects and IF-based optical control planes, and bandwidth markets.