Clean Slate Internet Design – The Role of Optics in the Redesign of the Internet

Abstract:
This paper investigates how the progress in optical communication technologies can contribute to a radical redesign of the Internet, also known as Clean Slate Internet Design. Whilst the initial focus in the redesign efforts still is on the actual architecture and the related protocols on the network layer and above, the technological progress in transport technologies enables radically new topologies and network design principles. Optical technologies are sufficiently mature to be deployed widely to the end customer, overcoming all limits of traditional copper infrastructure. It is shown how optical technologies could lead to radically new solutions for network layout from the core to access and aggregation.