GENEVA -- The ITU announced today that its Telecommunication Standardization Sector had approved new world standards for next generation optical networks that will provide ultra-high capacity using Dense Wavelength-Division Multiplexing (DWDM). The new standards are a result of the work programme initiated by ITU to define optical technology which goes beyond point-to-point architectures, thus allowing for intelligent optical networking.

ITU-T Recommendation G.872, the first standard in the Optical Transport Network (OTN) series approved in 1999, addressed the optical transport network architecture.

The next two standards in the OTN series were approved today. ITU-T Recommendation G.709 specifies the interfaces for interconnection between service providers/network operators and facilitates mid-span meet between equipment from different vendors. ITU-T Recommendation G.959.1 specifies physical layer interfaces for the OTN.

Optical signals with bit rates of 2.5, 10, and 40 Gbits/s are supported. Initial clients are SDH/SONET and data services including Ethernet, IP, ATM and Fibre channel.

Management capabilities for connectivity verification, performance assessment, and fault sectionalization are defined supporting the multiplicity of roles (user, service provider, network operator) and organizations in today's transport network.

Work is already underway on other standards for the OTN series, such as automatic switched transport networks and their control mechanisms, to support bandwidth-on demand applications, OTN equipment functionality, optical protection/restoration, and OTN management.

http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press/releases/2001/01.html