“Proceedings of the IEEE” Highlights Milestones in Optical Technology that will Revolutionize Data Networking at Minimal Costs
New Issue Focuses on Past and Future of Optical Networking, Pinpoints New Innovations with Most Potential and Outlines Where More Research is needed
Piscataway, NJ – June 18, 2012 – While all-optical networking has reached a vibrant state, further
advances are still needed to continue to cope with the explosive growth of future optical networks
according to the current special issue of the Proceedings of the IEEE, the most highly-cited general-
interest journal in electrical engineering and computer science. Many new technologies have the ability
to provide enormous bandwidth for data transport, cost-effective upgrades of networks and greater
savings in power consumption.
Titled “The Evolution of Optical Networking”, this special 14-paper May 2012 issue celebrates both
the impact and enhanced quality of life that optical networking has brought to our society and the
centennial anniversary of the Proceedings of the IEEE. Guest editors for this issue are Ioannis Tomkos,
Biswanath Mukherjee, Steven K. Korotky, Rodney S.Tucker and Leda Lunardi.
A set of well-recognized scientists from both industry and academia were chosen as lead authors to
contribute to this special issue because they are experts on the topics of the respective papers and have
made pioneering contributions to the development of optical networking research. Topics, selected
by these guest editors, cover the evolution of the optical networking solutions that have shown the
greatest impact over the past years and the largest potential for the future. Specific subjects range from
optical network technologies to optical network architecture, algorithms and protocols, from core to
access network segments and from the past to the future of optical networking.
Optical Networks; Grid and Cloud Computing
It is well understood and appreciated that optical networking has enabled the internet revolution
that started in mid-1990s and has resulted in tremendous impact to our society. Yet, according to
the authors of “Optical Networks for Grid and Cloud Computing Applications,” there are still major
challenges related to the integration of cloud and grid technologies with optical networking. In the
paper by Chris Develder, Marc De Leenheer, Bart Dhoedt, Didier Colle and Filip De Turck, all IEEE
members, Mario Pickavet Senior Member IEEE and Piet Demeester, Fellow IEEE, pose novel challenges
and call for efficient interworking of IT resource for both processing, storage and the network that
interconnect them and provides access to their users.
Capacity, Energy Limitations
“Spatial multiplexing in fibers is the only new fiber technology that can provide the capacity scaling
compatible with traffic demands in the next few decades,” contends Rene’-Jean Essiambre, senior
member of IEEE and Robert W. Tkach, Fellow IEEE in their paper, “Capacity Trends and Limits of Optical
Communication Networks.”
Essiambre and Tkach further state, “At the rate of growth of the last decade, network traffic demand is
now exceeding the capacity of individual fiber communication systems, reversing the situation that has
existed since the beginning of the WDM era.”
Throughout the paper, the authors present the potential of using spatial multiplexing in fibers
supporting multiple spatial modes in combination with multiple-input multiple-output digital signal
processing to provide dramatic increase in capacity or reducing the energy of transmission by one to
two orders of magnitude.
“Energy constraints might shape future optical communication networks and the impact that current
technology trends may have on future energy use,” suggests Daniel Kilper, senior member of IEEE,
K. Guan, K. Hinton and R. Ayre in their paper, “Energy Challenges in Current and Future Optical
Transmission Networks.” While energy has always been essential to the physics of communication, the
paper acknowledges that only recently have energy efficiency and carbon footprint become focal points
of technology research and system design.
“As a result, energy must be a focus today in the design of terrestrial optical transmission networks
due to central office thermal constraints, and will become increasingly important in the future to
ensure continued network scaling with demand, controlling network carbon footprint and enabling eco-
sustainable network applications,” advises Dr. Kilper.
Reducing Power Consumption in Future Networks
“To control power consumption in future systems, all-optical processing techniques that preserve
optical reach are needed or there will be ongoing concerns of cost and power savings,” predict the
authors of the paper “All-Optical Networking-Evolution, Benefits, Challenges, and Future Vision,” Adel A.
M. Saleh, Fellow IEEE, and Jane M. Simmons, Fellow IEEE. With the network traffic demand continuing
to grow at a fast pace, the corresponding increase in power consumption is becoming of real concern.
For this reason, all-optical networks continue to evolve in response to ever-increasing levels of traffic
and with a growing emphasis on network flexibility.
Impairment-Aware Optical Networks
Cost-effective telecommunication services demand new solutions such as evolving optical network
architectures toward higher bitrate all-optical (i.e., transparent) networks, where optical signals highly
degrade along the path due to the accumulation of physical-layer impairments. In the paper, “Cross-
Layer Approaches for Planning and Operating Impairment-Aware Optical Networks,“ authors Josep
Sole’-Pareta, Suresh Subramaniam, Davide Careglio and Salvatore Spadaro discuss recent developments
for planning and operating impairment-aware optical networks, describe associated challenges, report
comparative analysis with a selection of existing solutions and present an overview of the open issues
for future study on a research topic that has attracted attention just over the past few years.
“Optical networks are a foundational technology for modern communications,” commented Dr. Tomkos,
resident professor with the Athens Information Technology Center, in addition to serving as guest editor
for this special edition. “The challenge for the future is to devise new approaches to optical networking
that provide cost reductions and energy-efficiency improvements at a rate commensurate with the
growth in service demand.”
Other papers in this issue include:
• The Evolution Of Configurable Wavelength Multiplexed Optical Networks - A Historical Perspective
• Wavelength-Selective Reconfiguration In Transparent Agile Optical Networks
• 100-G And Beyond Transmission Technologies For Evolving Optical Networks And Relevant Physical-
Layer Issues
• Optical Flow Switching Networks
• Optical Network Management And Control
• Next Generation Optical Network Architecture And Multidomain Issues
• Multilayer And Multi-Domain Resilience In Optical Networks
• Evolution Of Optical Access Networks: Architectures And Capacity Upgrades
• Hybrid Optical Wireless Access Networks
Founding of Proceedings of the IEEE
The Proceedings of the IEEE has a long and rich history that can be traced back to its early beginnings in
1909, when it was known as the Proceedings of the Wireless Institute. This Wireless Institute began as a
society for those interested in wireless engineering. Six issues of the Proceedings journal were published
in 1909 under the direction of Greenleaf Pickard and Alfred Goldsmith.
In 1912, the New York-based Wireless Institute merged with the Boston-based Society of Wireless
Telegraph Engineers to become the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE). Wanting to continue the
publishing of Proceedings, Pickard and Goldsmith, it published the first issue of Proceedings of the
IRE (Volume 1) in January of 1913. Goldsmith, a Columbia University professor who had edited the
Proceedings of the Wireless Institute, continued as editor of the new journal. This is the milestone of the
official birth date of this journal.
About The Proceedings of the IEEE
Founded in 1912 and first published in early 1913, (originally as Proceedings of the IRE), Proceedings
of the IEEE is the most highly-cited general-interest journal in electrical engineering and computer
science. This journal provides the most in-depth tutorial and review coverage of the technical
developments that shape our world, enlisting the help of guest editors and authors from the best
research facilities, leading edge corporations and universities around the world. For more information
on Proceedings of the IEEE and the latest ideas and innovative technologies, visit http://www.ieee.org/
proceedings.
About IEEE
IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional association, is dedicated to advancing technology for
the benefit of humanity. Through its highly-cited publications, conferences, technology standards and
professional and educational activities, IEEE is the trusted voice on a wide variety of areas ranging from
aerospace systems, computers and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric power and
consumer electronics. Learn more at http://www.ieee.org.
Lauren Russ at 773.972.7060 or lauren@connectcomsinc.com
About The Proceedings of the IEEE
Founded in 1913, (originally as Proceedings of the IRE), Proceedings of the IEEE is the most highly-cited general-interest journal in electrical engineering and computer science. This journal provides the most in-depth tutorial and review coverage of the technical developments that shape our world, enlisting the help of guest editors and authors from the best research facilities, leading edge corporations and universities around the world. For more information on Proceedings of the IEEE and the latest ideas and innovative technologies, visit http://www.ieee.org/proceedings.
About IEEE
IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional association, is dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. Through its highly-cited publications, conferences, technology standards and professional and educational activities, IEEE is the trusted voice on a wide variety of areas ranging from aerospace systems, computers and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric power and consumer electronics. Learn more at http://www.ieee.org.
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