SONET versus DWDM

[p.krane]

A little confusion surrounding metro technologies. When should you deploy next-generation SONET versus DWDM versus Ethernet, etc.?

TIA

Pam

[r-simpson]

There are many factors that go into this type of decision. You need to look at the services being offered today as well as those they’d like to offer 3-5 years from now. Often a network might consist of several technologies where the particular service of that route dictates the need for one over another.

HTH

[scottmac]

The use of one doesn't necessarily rule out the concurrent use of the other (or any of the others).

DWDM is neutral as to the type of signalling that it can carry; it's just a way of increasing the apparent bandwidth over a given pair of SM fiber. In a high-density metro area, it's likely to be far cheaper to deploy WDM / DWDM than to pull additional media. For an existing plant, the bandwidth multiplication frequently translates to more efficiency and lower per-unit transmission costs for a given span.

In a large campus environment, using DWDM to "multiply the bandwidth" is usually a faster solution to implement than trenching-in new media or pulling more fiber into the existing raceways.

WDM / DWDM is just a way to "fatten up" the fiber.

FWIW

Scott