ANALYSIS & OPINION: OPTICAL NETWORKS
ANALYSIS & OPINION: COHERENT OPTICS
FLEXIBLE FRIEND
Network core flexibility will become just as important as capacity, and coherent solutions could be key to accommodating changing traffic flows
EUGENE PARK
TO ACCOMMODATE VARYING TRAFFIC FROM THE EDGE INTO THE CORE, A NETWORK MAY REQUIRE DIFFERENT OPTIMISATION REQUIREMENTS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE NETWORK
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ncreasing bandwidth demand is nothing new in the optical networking industry, but where that demand comes from is changing, and this is going to strain current network
core architectures. With the emergence of new applications such as 8k ultra-high-density video, 5G, and the Internet of Tings (IoT), even greater bandwidth is going to be required at the network edges. Te required optical channel capacities to
support shiſting edge and access traffic may exceed legacy-installed bandwidth, and network operators may not be able to fully predict in advance the required channel capacity the further we move away from the network core. Deploying a flexible network core architecture allows the handling of the increased traffic from the edge and access, as well as traffic non- uniformity that might arise – fater core pipes are available dynamically as they are needed. Tis article takes a look at how optical
coherent solutions will be critical to accommodating these changing traffic flows, explains why flexibility in the network core will become just as important as capacity, and highlights strategies for building these higher- performing and flexible networks in the future.
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Architecture evolution Te industry may not have a crystal ball, but it’s clear that network traffic is becoming more fluid. Applications of coherent 100 and 200G solutions are already being used for aggregated access traffic, and in the future, there will be 400G and potentially even higher transmission speeds feeding into the core of the network. Tis fluid traffic will make it more difficult to
anticipate bandwidth demands from 5G, cable Remote PHY, and data centre edge networks. One way to address this problem is puting in place network elements that can accommodate dynamic – and maybe unpredictable – traffic paterns from the edge and access network. Optical coherent solutions, in particular, will play a key role in meeting this new traffic demand by increasing performance and flexibility in the network. Coherent solutions will also play a role in the edge and access networks – requiring smaller form factors and standardised interoperable interconnects – driven by growing bandwidth needs at the network edge. Optimising network capacity and reach will
be a key requirement for future flexible core networks, but it needs to be done in a way that provides low total cost of ownership, so
Issue 24nIssue 22 n Winter 2019 n FiBRE SYSTEMS FiBRE SYSTEMS Summer 2019 n 29
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