A practical vision for optical transport networking

Optical transport networks (OTNs) will quickly evolve from dense wavelength division multiplexed (DWDM) remedies for capacity exhaust to scalable and robust optical networking applications catering to a wide variety of client signals with equally varied service requirements. This paper presents a practical vision for OTN evolution, placing it in the context of other networking trends. It also provides a brief introduction to the papers presented in this issue, which together provide a view of Lucent Technologies' Network Vision for a cost-effective, survivable, and flexible broadband optical networking infrastructure.