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Reconfigurable optical networks refers to the current generation of DWDM fiberoptic networks that can be reconfigured in the optical domain under software control. They provide telecom and cable service providers with an operationally efficient and cost effective transport layer for Internet, video and telephone services. Earlier DWDM networks could only be reconfigured manually using optical patch panels, or if dynamic reconfiguration was absolutely required then expensive solutions were used where each wavelength was individually converted to and from an electronic format for electronic switching.
Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexers or ROADMs is the network equipment sub-system used to deliver reconfigurable optical networks. They permit adding and dropping wavelengths at a node on a fiberoptic ring, and also interchanging wavelengths among interconnected rings and in mesh networks. The market for ROADMs is growing at over 40% annually and they are used throughout the DWDM networking hierarchy including long haul, regional, metropolitan and access networks.
ROADMs are powered by dynamic optical modules such as wavelength selective switches and wavelength blockers that are supplied by Xtellus.
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