Multifiber wavelength-division multiplexed ring network architecture for Tera-bit/s throughput

This paper analyzes the trade-off between link cost and node cost of conventional WDM ring networks in a performance comparison. The results of this analysis lead us to a new breed of multifiber WDM ring networks with the most simple nodes and modest link efficiency. The paper discusses its design and performance and locates its most promising application areas with respect to the number of nodes and ring length. The paper also reviews the status of the critical technologies needed for implementing the proposed network with Tera-bit/s capacity