Field trial of a European self-healing WDM optical network

摘要

Wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) systems are presently being installed in the transport network at a fast pace. Until now, this has mainly been in the form of high-capacity transport pipes in point-to-point systems with very little functionality in the optical domain. Ericsson has previously developed systems with 1+1 optical multiplex section protection, which is especially useful when there is no protection in the electrical domain, i.e., for client systems other than SDH/SONET. One attractive step forward in terms of optical functionality is the optical self-healing ring, see e.g. [1,2,3]. One approach is the FlexingBus developed by Ericsson [4], which does not require sophisticated optical components in order to work; it can be manufactured from the same type of optical components and boards as used in point-to-point systems. The FlexingBus is a bi-directional 2-fiber ring where the protection switching is performed by optical amplifiers. This paper describes a field trial of the FlexingBus in Telia's network in the Stockholm area. Telia is the largest network operator in Sweden.