Future Optical Networks

The summary form only given. Communication networks are undergoing dramatic changes due to increasing demands from a diversity of users. Consumers, scientists, business users all have there own specific requirements on the network in terms of bandwidth, quality of service, network resources (storage and processing). Optical technology has a key role to play in enabling networks that can support these demands, and this tutorial looks at how optics will increasingly penetrate the network. The tutorial will review the current status of networking, the role of optics in future networks (including current roadmap visions of the switching technologies to be used), major recent programmes [on optical networking] in regions of the world such as USA, Japan and EU are described.