During the 16th edition of Dni Światła conference, experts from Orange, Netia, Play Group discussed the future and challenges of IP-over-DWDM and open network systems, but also issues with network development, interoperability and cost savings in telecoms. The debate was moderated by the organisers of Dni Światła, Marcin Bała, CEO of Salumanus, and Jarosław Gorczowski, CEO of DCN Europe.
The conversation coincided with the opening of the long-awaited 5G band auction, so naturally it started with a question about the operators' readiness to support more bands and the rolling up of old copper connections. Operator representatives agreed that although the old technologies consume energy, take up a lot of space and require numerous repairs, they are still performing well because they seem to be free.
As Kamil Schild, head of B2B products at Play Group commented, “the direction is clear: we all realise that optical fiber opens up many possibilities, whether we can communicate it in shared or branch lines. Where optical fiber is not available, we are now able to use a wireless signal based on the 5G network”.
In turn, Paweł Śmiechowski, head of network development department at ORANGE, confirmed that Orange has been using IP-over-DWDM solutions for many years, which in their opinion are much cheaper and take up less space than traditional wave multiplexing systems built on transponders.
Bartłomiej Zaremba, director of network development and maintenance at Netia, was slightly more sceptical about this type of system in the core part of the network, while emphasising that he sees its potential in data centres, distribution and access networks.
On the other hand, Marcin Bała pointed out that talks with large European operators, such as Liberty Global, indicate that they plan to migrate the entire core of their networks to IP-over-DWDM technology.
“Today no one needs to be convinced of the savings resulting from the use of IP-over-DWDM. All that remains is the question of centralised IP and optical network management. All-over-IP themes are emerging, which can help get rid of the challenges of Alien Lambdas. The goal is to make sure that the services sold to customers are based solely on IP, so as not to sell a classic OTN or a classic Alien Lambda”, Marcin Bała pointed out.
A large part of the discussion was also devoted to the idea of open systems, open ROADM or open DWDM. This is an initiative meant to create open standards for optical networks, which would allow operators to launch and manage new networks more easily and in a cost-effective manner. Open APIs would allow different devices to communicate with each other in a standardised way, regardless of the hardware’s vendor.
To what extent is this idea possible today? According to the panellists, the idea is worth implementing, although it requires a lot of work on the part of the operator who would decide on such a solution. There would need to exist a software solution that would allow communication between the systems of different vendors.
“I think that the biggest players like Meta or Amazon, which are building their own networks and can expect more from vendors, may decide to take such a step,' explained Bartłomiej Zaremba of Netia.
The 16th edition of Dni Światła was a conference dedicated to telco and data centre professionals organised by Salumanus and DCN Europe. During the 8 lectures, topics related to higher bandwidth and energy savings in networks were discussed, but also issues related to managed Wi-Fi, cloud management and the testing of new devices. Salumanus has also showcased its Smart Recode Device, together with new energy-efficient coherent optical modules designed by GBC Photonics.
For more information and additional photos, check out our Salumanus gallery.
