Optical communications [Series Editorial]

In this month¿s Optical Communications Series (OCS) we have selected contributions addressing developments in optical transport networks. Despite the slow recovery in the global economy, the global demand for Internet, video, TV, and telecommunications services has been growing at a brisk pace. As evidenced by product/service announcements at major industry conferences and trade shows, global demand for communications services with high-speed transmission of IPTV, peer-to-peer video exchange, and rapidly expanding mobile traffic shifting from former 2G to 3G to 4G services has been presenting many exciting business opportunities to the global providers of optical communications services and their suppliers. As telecommunications networks develop on a global scale, it has been realized that optical communications will continue to be the sole greatest enabler of the truly broadband communications-based services in such applications as long-distance education and telemedicine.