Terabit Lightwave Networks: The Multihop Approach

TLDR

Lightwave technology can provide a capacity pool far above other technologies, but electro‑optic converters limit each user to a tiny fraction of that capacity. The paper examines shortcomings of conventional methods for accessing optical bandwidth. The authors propose a multihop network architecture that exploits existing components to tap the full optical capacity. The architecture enables networks with hundreds of thousands of gigabits‑per‑second total capacity, sharing among users each capped at 1 Gb/s.

Abstract

For multiuser communications networks, lightwave technology offers the potential to supply a pool of capacity — to be shared among users — far above that provided by any alternative technology. However, the bandwidth limitation of the electro-optic converters needed to attach each user to the optical medium prevents any one user from accessing more than a tiny fraction of the overall capacity. This paper discusses the problems with conventional approaches for tapping the capacity contained within the optical communications band. It then proposes a new network architecture that permits tapping lightwave's vast capacity potential without requiring a technological breakthrough. With this approach, it becomes possible to create networks that offer hundreds of thousands of gigabits-per-second total capacity, to be shared among users, each limited to a peak rate of 1 Gb/s.