OPEN: Optical pan-european network

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 95.0594

Key words (English)

Optical communication; photonic technologies

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: AC066

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 4. Frame Research Programme - 1.2 Communications technologies

Short description (English)

See abstract

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Alcatel Aisthom Recherche (F), France Télécom (F), Dept. of Electronic Systems Eng. (UK), Technical University of Denmark (DK), Alcatel-CIT (F), Alcatel-SEL AG (D), Alcatel Norway Telecom (Norway), Belgacom (B), Centro Studi e Laboratori Telecommunicazione (I), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (CH), IMEC (B), Teledenmark Research (DK), Telenor Research (Norway), Sintef Delab (Norway), Alcatel Optronics (F)

Abstract (English)

The project OPEN studied and demonstrated the feasibility of an Optical Pan-European communication network, interconnecting major European cities by means of high-capacity multi-wavelength optical fibre cables cross-connected through transparent photonic wavelength routing and switching nodes. Built on existing fibre infrastructures two field trials were very successful, one connecting Norway and Denmark, the other interconnecting Paris, Brussels and Lille. System studies, component developments and laboratory demonstrations made these Pan-European optical communication network demonstrations feasible.

The involvement of ETH-Z in OPEN concerned the development of novel optical time domain demultiplexer-wavelength converters that are capable of transmultiplexing 40 Gbit/s signals at separate wavelengths. In a common development between the ACTS-HIGHWAY and OPEN projects, ETH-Z achieved a breakthrough with an lnP optical amplifier/interferometer switch that is capable of optically controlled demultiplexing of 40 Gbit/s signals. Pulsed semiconductor lasers capable of driving such transmultiplexers have also been developed by ETH-Z. In collaboration with CSELT in Torino, Italy, who built the elaborate testbed, full 40 Gbit/s OTDM to four 10 Gbitls signals at separate wavelengths was successfully demonstrated and its performance and network implications assessed.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 95.0594