Fiber Optic Services And Products

On Fiber Optic Communications

Optical Networking Perspective

A 2001 View From The Crystal Ball

Earlier today, I was gazing into my crystal ball. After dusting if off, I noticed a reflected image (Fresnel, of course) of OPTICAL NETWORKING PAST (Charles Dickens, beware!) This image was of ring networks with all the high reliability, complexity and cost of SONET.

Although my crystal ball is often murky, today it cleared enough for a view of OPTICAL NETWORKING FUTURE. In the image that formed, I noticed five main features and trends:

Evolution of an increasingly passive network design;

Miniaturization of components;

Integration of multiple functions in a single device;

Tunability of the devices; and

Significant reductions in costs of network devices and operational costs.

The passivity occurred throughout the network. All components, except the end electronics, were passive devices handling the signal(s) in the optical regime. Wavelength multiplexers and demultiplexers, optical amplifiers, optical add/drop multiplexers, wavelength routers, switches, wavelength switches, wavelength converters, dispersion compensators, all worked with photons, or, if you prefer, electromagnetic energy in wave form.

Light could be moved between any two destinations as light. Electronics were required only at the ends of the link.

Miniaturization of components occurred as Raman amplifiers replaced EDFA amplifiers, circulators with chirped fiber Bragg gratings replaced multi kilometer reels of dispersion compensating fibers, VCSEL arrays replaced single lasers and planar waveguides and liquid crystal cell switches replaced OEO switches.

As miniaturization reduced the size of components, it becomes possible to integrate multiple functions in a single device. This integration becomes possible through fabrication of multiple devices on the same substrate, by semiconductor processes. Such fabrication reduces the cost of the multiple functions and the complexity of installation, because of the need to make a reduced number of connections. Component and network reliability increased because of this integration of functions. Tunable lasers and wavelength multiplexers, wavelength demultiplexers and detectors, switches and dispersion compensation can be combined in a single device.

All companies supplying telephone/data transmission services blessed this miniaturization trend, because it enabled significant increases in capability in reduced space, with reduced power and cooling requirements, and with reduced operating costs. The consequence of miniaturization is that no new buildings will be required to handle increases of orders of magnitude in capacity.

Tunability of components becomes an absolute requirement and a reality because of the basic nature of data transmission: capacity requirements are not predictable. Because of this nature, we need the transmission flexibility. The only way to provide such flexibility is to be able to transmit any data on any path on any wavelength with a set up time of seconds, not days, weeks or months. Tunability of laser wavelengths, of switches, of OADMs provides this flexibility. Tunable wavelength lasers, tunable switches, tunable OADMs enable this flexibility.

Finally, these first four features and trends result in cost reductions: in equipment, in installation, in maintenance and in operation. Nicholas Negroponte is quoted as saying bandwidth is free. It is not quite, but in the OPTICAL NETWORKING FUTURE, bandwidth cost becomes so low that it is almost free.

Mr. Pearson is founder and President of Pearson Technologies Inc. (1980- ). He is a Certified Professional Consultant (CPC), a Certified Fiber Optic Specialist (CFOS) and a 29 year professional in fiber optics. He is an Editorial Advisor to Fiberoptic Product News (1986- ), is the Director of Certification (1988- ) and a Director (1996- ) of the Fiber Optic Association. He has written has written more than 80 articles and books including The Complete Guide to Fiber Optic Cable System Installation (Delmar Publishing, 1997). He has developed more than 20 training programs, including two Global Knowledge programs, 'Fiber Optic Network Installation' and 'Fiber Optic (Data) Network Design'. He has trained more than 5900 personnel in fiber optics. He has been invited to present for major fiber companies, including Corning Inc. and Kessler Marketing Intelligence, Transition Networks, Kroneamericas, Berk Tek General Cable. Pearson Technologies Incorporated provides training, consulting, legal and engineering services. These services include the areas of fibers, cables, connectors, optoelectronics, installation methods and network design.

Respectfully submitted for your consideration,

Eric R. Pearson, CPC, CFOS

President

Pearson Technologies Inc.

For Mr. Pearson contact information, click here.

Pearson Technologies Web Sites

http://www.ptnowire.com http://www.FTTDnow.info

http://www.fiberopticlawsuits.info http://www.sfoi.info

Contact Pearson Technologies Inc.