Wavelength division multiplexing-filling the bandwidth gap

Driven by geometric growth in telephone traffic fueled by the proliferation of the Internet, telephone service providers are struggling to keep pace with demand. With current fiber-optic transmission systems at their capacity limit, service providers are turning to new dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) technologies to expand capacity without installing new fiber plant. This paper explores the drivers behind the explosive demand for more bandwidth and describes the fundamentals behind the enabling technology of DWDM.