WDM

Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) is the foundation of today’s carrier networks – integrating both legacy and next-generation, carrier-class Ethernet/IP services – across all tiers of the network. WDM offers low-cost transport for all applications and services, scales easily in terms of capacity and reach and provides rapid protection against any fiber plant failure. Fully transparent to any bit rate and protocol, WDM is the natural, multi-service integration layer for modern networks – rendering them more manageable, more efficient and more capable of delivering the tremendous volumes of bandwidth required for the emerging class of business and consumer services.

The basics of WDM are straightforward: applications using any recognized protocol are transported using independent wavelengths on a single optical fiber. Protocols include Ethernet up to 10GbE, ESCON, FICON (1/2/4Gbit/s), Fibre Channel (1/2/4/(8)/10Gbit/s), Coupling Link (1/2Gbit/s), Sysplex Timers, ATM and SONET/SDH with 155/622Mbit/s and 2.5/10Gbit/s, and finally OTH services (OTU1, OTU2) at 2.7/10.7Gbit/s rates. Today, even applications at 40Gbit/s (OC-768/STM-256/OTU3) can be covered, 100Gbit/s interfaces are on the horizon. Protocol conversion is unnecessary in WDM systems, so there are no limitations regarding bit-rates, protocols or latency. Application performance is at native speed.