Abstract

For video information transport in interoffice or access networks, allocating bandwidth in SONET rings may not be a bandwidth-efficient solution since such traffic is highly asymmetric. In high-demand areas, using additional overlay networks for video information transport may be more desirable, but it requires additional fibers, which are becoming scarce. This paper describes a photonic-ring architecture that integrates video information delivery and a passive optical protection scheme for SONET in the same fiber pair. The proposed nonregenerative photonic ring can build on the conventional SONET rings for high-capacity video information transport without requiring new fiber pairs, offer excellent flexibility to adopt new transmission technologies, and have the economical advantage of eliminating redundant add-drop multiplexers (ADMs) for protection.

© 1994 Optical Society of America