KEY BUILDING-BLOCKS FOR HIGH-CAPACITY WDM PHOTONIC TRANSPORT NETWORKS

The objective of this paper is to give an overview of the different st udies we have performed at the research level regarding the design and implementation of a photonic wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) l ayer providing transparent transport services to client layers (SONET/ SDH, ATM, etc.). Such a network requires a number of enabling factors to be assessed in order to become a reality. Among these factors are t he availability of high-capacity WDM transmission systems and efficien t optical routing nodes based on mature technology, the design of robu st networks optimizing the utilization of resources, and the developme nt of a management system in accordance with presently applied standar ds for transport networks, In this paper we will review our recent ach ievements in these different fields.