Optical Networks Are At The Heart of The World’s Connectivity
The demand for handling and transmitting enormous data volumes across the globe has become a fundamental requirement for services and applications. Whether placing a phone call, engaging in video chats, streaming our favorite shows, shopping online, or collaborating with colleagues from afar, these activities all rely on a common thread – digital data. This digital data can originate from anywhere on our planet and seamlessly bridge the gap between individuals through the intricate web of telecommunications networks.
The backbone infrastructure responsible for facilitating the global flow of this data is the optical network.
Optical networks boast a remarkable capability – the ability to efficiently transport vast quantities of data over nearly any distance imaginable. Regardless of the method chosen to link end-users – radio or microwave signals, copper or coaxial cables, or fiber-optic connections to homes – optical networks stand out as the most adaptable and cost-effective means of transmitting huge amounts of user data across expansive distances.
Connecting the World with High-Bandwidth Cables
Recent cable installations have ushered in a new era of high-bandwidth intercontinental connections, creating a global network of connectivity that spans millions of kilometers of optical fiber that requires ongoing expansion and serves as the bedrock for our daily connectivity and national security.
At the heart of data connectivity lies the edge. Whether it’s fiber-based PON (Passive Optical Network) connectivity, the evolution to 6G, immersive VR/AR experiences, or cloud-hosted enterprises, end-users consistently hunger for more bandwidth. The key to meeting this growing appetite lies in the cutting-edge technologies of silicon photonics and coherent optics, which enable us to provide the necessary capacity for expansion.
Meeting the Demand for Network Capacity
Global network capacity has grown exponentially in the last decade and, by some estimates, is growing at a rate of 40% year over year. Yet, despite this remarkable expansion, it still needs to satisfy the escalating demands created by emerging applications, a growing user base, and the advent of more advanced devices. The relentless rise of bandwidth-intensive applications will necessitate another monumental network capacity increase in the coming decade.
To fulfill these ever-expanding capacity needs, today’s networks must undergo a transformative evolution. They must be prepared to scale limitlessly, extending from the remote edges to the very core of the network infrastructure. Simultaneously, they must strive to reduce complexity and enhance operational efficiency in the day-to-day management of network operations.
Unlocking Scalability and Simplicity in Optical Networks
The scalability and simplicity of optical networks are driven by continuous advancements in four key solution areas: coherent optics, optical line solutions, P-OTN switching, and optical network automations.
Coherent Optics
Coherent optics play a pivotal role in driving the “wavelengths” in Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) and are essentially the heart and soul of optical networks, serving as the driving force behind scaling the maximum data rate each wavelength can achieve.
At the core of this technology are Photonic Service Engines (PSE), which seamlessly integrate coherent modems with high-speed optics within Digital Coherent Modules (DCOs). Nokia’s Compact PSEs take the spotlight when optimizing for low power consumption and plug-and-play convenience, delivering exceptional scaling capabilities for metro and regional applications while keeping power consumption in check. On the other hand, Super-Coherent PSEs take the lead in achieving the highest levels of capacity-reach performance, making them the go-to choice for regional, long-haul, and subsea networks where performance is non-negotiable.
Optical Line Systems
These systems are the traffic controllers of the optical world, seamlessly combining multiple coherent wavelengths into a single optical fiber and directing these wavelengths to different destinations as needed.
As the demand for network capacity continues to surge, Optical Line Systems must rise to the occasion to support an ever-increasing number of wavelengths over optical fiber networks, accommodate the deployment of new fibers with even higher capacities, and scale reconfigurable wavelength switching across a broader spectrum of wavelengths, bands, and directions.
The key to achieving this scalability lies in tapping into more spectrum within the fiber, both in the C-band and L-band. This approach effectively doubles the capacity of an optical fiber. Today, Nokia’s solutions enable the scaling of up to a staggering 60 terabits per second of data per fiber. And with ongoing advances in fiber technology, the potential for even greater scaling beckons on the horizon.
P-OTN Switching
While coherent optics and optical line systems facilitate the transfer of massive data volumes between locations, the P-OTN switches step in to adapt and seamlessly connect that data to its intended end-users.
In a landscape where applications such as network slicing, network wholesale, synchronization-as-a-service, and network-as-a-service (NaaS) are gaining prominence, the demand for high-reliability, finely-grained, and managed bandwidth services is paramount. On the other hand, sectors like business services, first responders, financial institutions, utility operators, and governments require survivable, secure, and dynamic networks.
This is precisely where P-OTN switches come into play, providing the vital connectivity needed to ensure guaranteed, always-on, scalable, and efficient management of data bandwidth. At the network’s edge, P-OTN platforms must adapt a wide range of packet, storage, and TDM services to OTN containers, all while maintaining compact and power-efficient form factors. In the core of networks, P-OTN switches take on the Herculean task of seamlessly routing tens of Terabits of bandwidth, connecting metro and long-haul networks. They do so with integrated coherent optics and the ability to support new data interface speeds, including the lightning-fast 400 Gigabit Ethernet.
Optical Network Automation
As the scale and size of optical networks continue to expand, the operational resources governing them must evolve to become faster, simpler, and more efficient. This evolution is necessary to keep pace with growing network demands and seize new service and revenue opportunities. Optical network automation rises to the challenge by tackling operational complexities and inefficiencies head-on, all while delivering a differentiated, intent-driven customer experience.
One of the primary benefits of network automation is eliminating manual operational tasks that can lead to errors, downtime, or delayed service activation. These tasks are streamlined, automated, and optimized to enhance overall network performance. Automation extends to health and analytics activities, leveraging network troubleshooting, KPI monitoring, and performance analysis to reduce error-prone manual interventions.
The outcomes are profound – resource optimization driven by real-time network performance data, the ability to adapt to outages in real-time by automatically rerouting data along alternative paths, a significant reduction in manual effort, and an overall improvement in network reliability.
Service enablement automation is another critical facet, empowering network operators to enhance business agility, slash operational costs, and expedite the development of revenue-generating services. The result is an intent-driven and intelligent optical automation that makes networks proactive rather than reactive. This transformation gives operators peace of mind as they scale their networks while streamlining day-to-day operations.
About Infinity Technology Solutions
Infinity Technology Solutions specializes in broadband and critical communications infrastructure development. We help our channel partners create and deploy private wireless, microwave backhaul, IP/MPLS, and optical networking technologies.
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