Core Networks and Network Management, NOC'99,

The demand for ever more capacity over the lucrative long-haul routes coupled with the need for higher reliability is pushing optical technology towards its limits. WDM systems allow upgrading of existing core networks and offer new opportunities for long-haul systems design towards ultimate terrabit systems. The prospect of an all-optical layer offers new possibilties for dynamic management of capacity and protection switching. Papers published in these proceedings: explore business opportunities for WDM systems; highlight recent advances in key technologies such as add drop multiplexers, arrayed planar waveguides and broadband EDFAs; present new bandwidth management techniques; and push the transmission limits to the technology by minimizing dispersion, non-linearities and intermodulation effects, and charts the way to soliton systems.