Flexible bandwidth provisioning in WDM networks by fractional lambda switching

A new approach is introduced in this paper to make possible a flexible utilization of WDM networks using current technology. It is shown that the bandwidth made available end-to-end by a single wavelength can be simply broken up into smaller fractions by relying on worldwide free synchronization systems, such as GPS, previously deployed for different applications. It is shown how this new approach, called time driven switching, behaves in terms of call blocking when the basic parameters of the scheme are varied.