The photonic layer is the backbone of modern networks, enabling on-going scale at the lowest cost, power and latency. How can it help operators continue to address today and tomorrow's connectivity demands? Paulina Gomez explains the critical role Ciena's programmable photonics are playing in the future of networking.
The landscape of telecommunications is transforming at such a fast pace. The need for efficient, sustainable, and high-capacity networks has never been greater. Every network operator grapples with the questions of how to increase bandwidth at a reasonable cost and how to keep up with the growing demands of cloud services, streaming, and AI applications - all while striving to meet consumers' growing expectations for seamless connectivity. It’s no easy task.
A critical element to help that you might be overlooking? The photonic layer.
Often described as the foundational layer of networking, the photonic layer plays a pivotal role in enabling operators to scale over time while keeping costs at a minimum. But not all photonic layers are built alike. What are the tools and technologies behind the photonic layer that are critical for today and the future of networking? Let’s dive into the applications and benefits of the photonic layer and discover how Ciena’s programmable photonics aren’t just a wise long-term investment, but also your secret weapon to optimizing your optical network assets for maximum performance, scalability, and sustainability.
Why should you care about the photonic layer?
The photonic layer forms the backbone of modern networking by providing a programmable optical infrastructure foundation that sustains all applications and services running on top of it. Today, it is considered a critical asset for operators to enable long-term network evolution by offering the lowest cost-per-bit solution for transferring data across expansive networks while minimizing power consumption and latency. Unlike the technological components that make up the higher networking layers, which become obsolete after a few years, the photonic layer has a much longer life. This means that you can deploy multiple generations of coherent technologies independent of format, bit rate and symbol rate, across the same flexible-grid photonic layer. Why is this so significant?
Besides the benefit of maximizing the value of deployed network resources, it allows you to gain a competitive edge by offering innovative, higher-speed services faster, with the ability to quickly deploy the newest generations of coherent optics across your existing photonic network. Over the years, operators have been able to seamlessly evolve from 100Gbps all the way to 1.6Tbps wavelengths! How can anyone say no to continually achieving higher-speed connectivity and gaining dramatic reduction in both space and power per bit compared to the previous generation of technology?
Plus, taking advantage of the photonic layer cuts the need for costly, higher latency regeneration which helps minimize power consumption and the need to deploy more equipment. And you can also easily expand fiber capacity with C&L band line systems that are now more widely deployed. This approach reduces waste and extends the lifespan of network and fiber assets, aligning with broader sustainability goals. Additionally, the photonic layer offers a dynamic pool of programmable capacity resources with flexible grid Colorless/Directionless ROADMs that enable scalable, on-demand connectivity so that you can adapt to increasing demands for bandwidth.
More automation with real-time visibility and openness
Let’s face it, today’s often manually intensive, time-consuming network operations aren’t sustainable for operators looking to easily adopt the latest technology and to quickly react to service new bandwidth demands. That’s one reason why the photonic layer has evolved with open line systems that integrate advanced instrumentation for real-time monitoring, which is essential for simplifying operations and increasing automation. Not only do these capabilities reduce operational expenses (OPEX), but they also enable you to do things much faster and more efficiently than ever before. For example, you can deploy systems in hours versus days using zero-touch provisioning to automate commissioning of network elements and you can pinpoint fiber fault locations in minutes versus hours with integrated bi-directional OTDR (Optical Time Domain Reflectometer). Modern open line systems also offer programmable APIs for ease of integration into existing operational tools and back-office systems, as well as features like streaming telemetry to provide streaming updates for network monitoring from devices with continuous, incremental updates.
Ciena's programmable photonics: Pioneering long-term network evolution
Designed with your long-term investment needs in mind, and decades of expertise in optical networking, Ciena’s programmable photonics combines highly instrumented, intelligent line systems with advanced software apps enabling you to fully maximize the return of your optical network investments. The result? You gain data driven insights to help you do things like improve spectral efficiency, maximize fiber capacity, increase availability, reduce latency and trouble-shoot faster.
Ciena’s innovative approach leverages:
- Application-Optimized Open Line Systems: Providing flexibility to adapt to growing capacity demands at the lowest cost, while supporting any coherent modem technology, including higher-baud optics and coherent pluggable devices, to address diverse needs. This is offered via systems like the easy-to-deploy Coherent ELS that delivers high-capacity DWDM to the metro/edge and the 6500 Reconfigurable Line System (RLS) that enables maximum fiber capacity over the C&L bands with ultra-dense configurations and unmatched programmability.
- Integrated Instrumentation and Automation: Delivering real-time performance monitoring to automate end-to-end workflows, minimizing the need for manual interventions and decreasing the chance for human error. Features like Automatic Fiber Characterization accurately measures linear and nonlinear fiber characteristics without human input. Additionally, integrated channelized ASE (Amplified Spontaneous Emission) maintains constant optimal system performance throughout the life of the network and allows for faster turn-up of wavelengths and faster wavelength restoration times during fault conditions.
- Intelligent Multi-Layer Network Control: Featuring Ciena’s Navigator Network Control SuiteTM that includes a multi-layer controller and intelligent AI-driven apps that deliver unparalleled visibility and insights for optimizing network performance, maximizing networking efficiencies and reducing OPEX.
Liquid Spectrum apps like PinPoint OTDR precisely identify fiber faults in your fiber plant, while Photonic Performance Gauge offers a comprehensive view of optical performance, even where no wavelength services are deployed. And Spectrum Defragmentation can be used to maximize fiber capacity by freeing up continuous spectrum for future services.- PlannerPlus enables seamless capacity planning, from automating workflows to creating the bill of materials and generating commissioning scripts.
- Emulation Cloud provides a cloud-hosted digital twin that simulates multi-layer networks, allowing operators easy, remote access to rapidly verify network configurations, as well as analyze network performance trends and test-drive optimization measures.
What’s next in photonic layer evolution?
The rising popularity of AI and cloud-driven applications requires low latency and higher wavelength capacities in metro and edge networks to deliver a high Quality of Experience (QoE) for end users. New purpose-built photonic layer solutions are needed in easy-to-deploy compact form factors at the right cost points. For example, high density flexible-grid, colorless ROADM solutions with integrated OTDR and ASE loading that are also footprint-optimized for small metro sites, and “all-in-one” pizza box ROADMs designed for ease of deployment closer to the edge.
With AI expected to drive robust bandwidth growth in the coming years, how can operators continue to scale their networks beyond the C- and L-band? New and disruptive technology approaches are on the horizon, starting with multi-rail solutions that offer multiple times the capacity within the same footprint while delivering significant power reduction per rail, to new fiber types and multi-band transmission systems. All exciting things to look forward to.
The foundation of the future of networking
Looking ahead, the photonic layer will continue to play an integral role in networking, laying the foundation required to support rapid traffic growth, distributed workloads, and high-demand applications like AI and video streaming—all at an affordable cost. With Ciena’s programmable photonics you can continue to scale at the lowest cost and streamline operations using analytics and automation, optimizing the return of your optical network investment. The future of networking is bright, and with Ciena’s photonic layer innovation, it’s never been more promising.
Interested in learning more? Join us at OFC 2025 in San Francisco booth #2443 to see firsthand how we are pushing the boundaries of what is possible in optical networking.