Flexible optical network defined and the value it represents in an IP and Ethernet environment

The necessary transition of core networks to scale from 10 to 40 to 100 Gigabit interfaces is driving a paradigm shift in the carriers network and underlying cost drivers. As networks make this transition, the cost per bit is going up rather than going down. The carrier´s spend ratio of electrical components (Routers, Switches, OTN, and TDM) to optical components (DWDM optics, Grey optics, and ROADM) is shifting toward optical. It is critical as these networks transition forward to minimize the number of optical interfaces used to serve their customer base and to build an optical layer network that minimizes the number of interfaces needed. This paper outlines the flexible optical network and the values that it represents in a carrier network.