Field trial of full-mesh WDM network (AWG-STAR) in metropolitan/local area

We describe a field trial of a wavelength routing full-mesh wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) (AWG-STAR) network for citywide local administration in Japan. An AWG router and five WDM nodes were connected to the existing fiber in the downtown area of the city of Chitose, Hokkaido. A 5 × 5 full-mesh network was overlaid on the Chitose intranet. A video-on-demand system based on Gigabit Ethernet links, high-definition serial digital interface signals, and synchronous digital hierarchy signals of STM-16 links are transmitted and routed simultaneously on the wavelength paths of the network. These systems are used for administration and education information sharing for city residents. The network is managed and controlled remotely from the NTT R&D Center in Atsugi, Japan, which is 50 km southwest of Tokyo and approximately 1000 km from Chitose. AWG-STAR exhibits promising potential as a large capacity network system for both simple full-mesh systems and highly secure private networks.