Changing evolution of optical communication systems at the network edges

Metro and data center networks are growing rapidly, while global fixed Internet traffic growth shows evidence of slowing. An analysis of the distribution of network capacity versus distance reveals capacity gaps in networks important to wireless backhaul networks and cloud computing. These networks are built from layers of electronic aggregation switches. Photonic integration and software-defined networking control are identified as key enabling technologies for the use of optical switching in these applications. Advances in optical switching for data center and metro networks in the CIAN engineering research center are reviewed and examined as potential directions for optical communication system evolution.