Increasing deployments of broadband services demand optical transport networks that can cost-effectively scale. And, the emergence of high-speed Ethernet technologies is driving significant change in optical networks. Advances in transport technology, optical components, and optical network design are important enablers for this disruptive network change. This paper introduces Ethernet-services transport over circuit-switched networks and then describes recent progress in high-speed Ethernet and optical transport network (OTN) technologies.
This white paper introduces optical transport networks (OTN) as a cost‑effective alternative to SONET/SDH, highlighting features such as reduced OPEX/CAPEX, scalability, and extended reach. It explains the OTN layered architecture and the digital wrapper that enables enhanced performance.
The document also covers high‑speed Ethernet integration, detailing mapping techniques for 10 GbE, 40 GbE, and 100 GbE, and describes recent OTN enhancements (e.g., ODU3e1, ODU3e2, OTL3.4, ODU0, ODUFlex) that support these higher‑rate services.
| OTU3 line rate | 43 Gbps |
|---|---|
| OTU2e line rate | 11.1 Gbps |
OTN reduces operations and capital expenses, offers greater scalability for WDM systems, provides cost‑effective transport, and extends reach while maintaining management functions.
Enhancements include low‑ and high‑order ODU schemes, GMP, OTU3e1/OTU3e2, OTL3.4 & OTL4.4, ODU0, and ODUFlex, which enable efficient transport of 40/100 GbE and other high‑rate clients.