Next generation transport networks - physics or management?

Abstract

The performance of optical components to a very high degree sets both the ultimate performance and the ultimate cost of today's optical communication systems. This paper discuss the business drivers we see today in the core optical networks that, although extremely successful in terms of capacity, nonetheless struggle with their functionality and cost-effectiveness. The present keywords of cost/bit, fast provisioning, and new services are overviewed from a business standpoint, and interpreted in systems terms, leading to a discussion on what optical functionalities and components are needed to match the needs of the emerging optical networks that will carry the traffic in the transformation into the mobile and broadband Internet user world.