Bell Labs: Networks operators can leverage IP technologies to ease capacity stress

Network operators who use converged IP and optical transport technologies can significantly ease the burden being placed on their infrastructure by demands for capacity caused by the explosion of bandwidth-hungry applications, a new study has shown.

The study by Bell Labs, the industrial research arm of Alcatel-Lucent looked to determine if and how converged IP/optical control integration could reduce network resource requirements without compromising service availability.

According to Bell Labs, this was done by comparing the relative cost of integrating and coordinating resiliency methods in both the IP routing and optical transport network.

Resilience is the network’s ability to resume normal operations if a failure occurs and is an essential component of an operator’s highly reliable network.

The results show that by converging routing and optical transport technologies operators can meet the same requirements for service availability while using up to 40% less network resources, such as 100G router ports and optical transponders.

Through the study, researchers successfully uncovered the potential cost benefits using a converged operation of routing and optical transport in an integrated multilayer network model. The study shows that:

An integrated resiliency strategy saves costs while still guaranteeing network and and service availability.

Marcus Weldon, President of Bell Labs & CTO of Alcatel-Lucent said: “We are always looking for ways to help our customers maximize their network infrastructure in order to prepare for the growing demand for the digital delivery of everything, as well as to deliver the best possible experience for users and their multiple connected devices. This research underscores the innovative thinking for which Bell Labs is world-renowned, as well as how Alcatel-Lucent is uniquely positioned to serve the needs of service providers and enterprise customers.”

Also, Ben Tang, a Distinguished Member of Technical Staff at Bell Labs said: “There is no better time than now to begin the converging of IP and optical transport. We know network traffic continues to increase exponentially, especially with new Cloud applications and ‘the rise of the machines’ on the horizon. This study provides the foundation for what will be a deep look into new optimized, network architectures and infrastructure.”