The photonic technologies impact on the next generation network

This paper describes the possible impact of photonic technologies on the next-generation network. With the explosion of the Internet (IP), the capacity demand is increasing exponentially, which exceeds Moor's law. The next-generation IP network should sustain this increase. This paper shows the possible node processing bottleneck even the transmission capacity can be supported by the use of WDM technology. Based on this analysis, the paper proposes a virtual router network as a solution, which applies a logical full-mesh connection based on salient features of photonic network technology. Development of the WDM technology sets the target at 1000 wavelengths on a fiber so that a dynamic wavelength routing function is becoming available. The increase in wavelengths, transparency among wavelengths, and the wavelength routing function can provide an optical path, which forms the base of a logical full-mesh structure and also provides an easy migration scenario from the current network to the next-generation IP network. The possibility is examined by calculation using a bi-directional loop network as an example. As the foundation of the proposal, the current status of photonic network technologies is described with future projection.