Author: Rajiv Ramaswami
Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann
ISBN: 1558606556
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 864
Book Description
Introduction to optical networks -- Propagation of signals in optical fiber -- Components -- Modulation and demodulation -- Transmission system engineering -- Client layers of the optical layer -- WDM network elements -- WDM network design -- Control and management -- Network survivability -- Access networks -- Photonic packet switching -- Deployment considerations.
Optical Networks
Author: Rajiv Ramaswami
Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann
ISBN: 1558606556
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 864
Book Description
Introduction to optical networks -- Propagation of signals in optical fiber -- Components -- Modulation and demodulation -- Transmission system engineering -- Client layers of the optical layer -- WDM network elements -- WDM network design -- Control and management -- Network survivability -- Access networks -- Photonic packet switching -- Deployment considerations.
Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann
ISBN: 1558606556
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 864
Book Description
Introduction to optical networks -- Propagation of signals in optical fiber -- Components -- Modulation and demodulation -- Transmission system engineering -- Client layers of the optical layer -- WDM network elements -- WDM network design -- Control and management -- Network survivability -- Access networks -- Photonic packet switching -- Deployment considerations.
Optical WDM Networks
Author: Biswanath Mukherjee
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0387291881
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 974
Book Description
Research and development on optical wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) networks have matured considerably. While optics and electronics should be used appropriately for transmission and switching hardware, note that "intelligence'' in any network comes from "software,'' for network control, management, signaling, traffic engineering, network planning, etc.The role of software in creating powerful network architectures for optical WDM networks is emphasized. Optical WDM Networks is a textbook for graduate level courses. Its focus is on the networking aspects of optical networking, but it also includes coverage of physical layers in optical networks. The author introduces WDM and its enabling technologies and discusses WDM local, access, metro, and long-haul network architectures. Each chapter is self-contained, has problems at the end of each chapter, and the material is organized for self study as well as classroom use. The material is the most recent and timely in capturing the state-of-the-art in the fast-moving field of optical WDM networking.
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0387291881
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 974
Book Description
Research and development on optical wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) networks have matured considerably. While optics and electronics should be used appropriately for transmission and switching hardware, note that "intelligence'' in any network comes from "software,'' for network control, management, signaling, traffic engineering, network planning, etc.The role of software in creating powerful network architectures for optical WDM networks is emphasized. Optical WDM Networks is a textbook for graduate level courses. Its focus is on the networking aspects of optical networking, but it also includes coverage of physical layers in optical networks. The author introduces WDM and its enabling technologies and discusses WDM local, access, metro, and long-haul network architectures. Each chapter is self-contained, has problems at the end of each chapter, and the material is organized for self study as well as classroom use. The material is the most recent and timely in capturing the state-of-the-art in the fast-moving field of optical WDM networking.
Optical Fiber Telecommunications VB
Author: Ivan Kaminow
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 0080569625
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 929
Book Description
Optical Fiber Telecommunications V (A&B) is the fifth in a series that has chronicled the progress in the research and development of lightwave communications since the early 1970s. Written by active authorities from academia and industry, this edition not only brings a fresh look to many essential topics but also focuses on network management and services. Using high bandwidth in a cost-effective manner for the development of customer applications is a central theme. This book is ideal for R&D engineers and managers, optical systems implementers, university researchers and students, network operators, and the investment community. Volume (A) is devoted to components and subsystems, including: semiconductor lasers, modulators, photodetectors, integrated photonic circuits, photonic crystals, specialty fibers, polarization-mode dispersion, electronic signal processing, MEMS, nonlinear optical signal processing, and quantum information technologies. Volume (B) is devoted to systems and networks, including: advanced modulation formats, coherent systems, time-multiplexed systems, performance monitoring, reconfigurable add-drop multiplexers, Ethernet technologies, broadband access and services, metro networks, long-haul transmission, optical switching, microwave photonics, computer interconnections, and simulation tools. Biographical Sketches Ivan Kaminow retired from Bell Labs in 1996 after a 42-year career. He conducted seminal studies on electrooptic modulators and materials, Raman scattering in ferroelectrics, integrated optics, semiconductor lasers (DBR , ridge-waveguide InGaAsP and multi-frequency), birefringent optical fibers, and WDM networks. Later, he led research on WDM components (EDFAs, AWGs and fiber Fabry-Perot Filters), and on WDM local and wide area networks. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a recipient of the IEEE/OSA John Tyndall, OSA Charles Townes and IEEE/LEOS Quantum Electronics Awards. Since 2004, he has been Adjunct Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. Tingye Li retired from AT&T in 1998 after a 41-year career at Bell Labs and AT&T Labs. His seminal work on laser resonator modes is considered a classic. Since the late 1960s, He and his groups have conducted pioneering studies on lightwave technologies and systems. He led the work on amplified WDM transmission systems and championed their deployment for upgrading network capacity. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. He is a recipient of the IEEE David Sarnoff Award, IEEE/OSA John Tyndall Award, OSA Ives Medal/Quinn Endowment, AT&T Science and Technology Medal, and IEEE Photonics Award. Alan Willner has worked at AT&T Bell Labs and Bellcore, and he is Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Southern California. He received the NSF Presidential Faculty Fellows Award from the White House, Packard Foundation Fellowship, NSF National Young Investigator Award, Fulbright Foundation Senior Scholar, IEEE LEOS Distinguished Lecturer, and USC University-Wide Award for Excellence in Teaching. He is a Fellow of IEEE and OSA, and he has been President of the IEEE LEOS, Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE/OSA J. of Lightwave Technology, Editor-in-Chief of Optics Letters, Co-Chair of the OSA Science & Engineering Council, and General Co-Chair of the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics. For nearly three decades, the OFT series has served as the comprehensive primary resource covering progress in the science and technology of optical fiber telecom. It has been essential for the bookshelves of scientists and engineers active in the field. OFT V provides updates on considerable progress in established disciplines, as well as introductions to new topics. [OFT V]... generates a value that is even higher than that of the sum of its chapters.
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 0080569625
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 929
Book Description
Optical Fiber Telecommunications V (A&B) is the fifth in a series that has chronicled the progress in the research and development of lightwave communications since the early 1970s. Written by active authorities from academia and industry, this edition not only brings a fresh look to many essential topics but also focuses on network management and services. Using high bandwidth in a cost-effective manner for the development of customer applications is a central theme. This book is ideal for R&D engineers and managers, optical systems implementers, university researchers and students, network operators, and the investment community. Volume (A) is devoted to components and subsystems, including: semiconductor lasers, modulators, photodetectors, integrated photonic circuits, photonic crystals, specialty fibers, polarization-mode dispersion, electronic signal processing, MEMS, nonlinear optical signal processing, and quantum information technologies. Volume (B) is devoted to systems and networks, including: advanced modulation formats, coherent systems, time-multiplexed systems, performance monitoring, reconfigurable add-drop multiplexers, Ethernet technologies, broadband access and services, metro networks, long-haul transmission, optical switching, microwave photonics, computer interconnections, and simulation tools. Biographical Sketches Ivan Kaminow retired from Bell Labs in 1996 after a 42-year career. He conducted seminal studies on electrooptic modulators and materials, Raman scattering in ferroelectrics, integrated optics, semiconductor lasers (DBR , ridge-waveguide InGaAsP and multi-frequency), birefringent optical fibers, and WDM networks. Later, he led research on WDM components (EDFAs, AWGs and fiber Fabry-Perot Filters), and on WDM local and wide area networks. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a recipient of the IEEE/OSA John Tyndall, OSA Charles Townes and IEEE/LEOS Quantum Electronics Awards. Since 2004, he has been Adjunct Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. Tingye Li retired from AT&T in 1998 after a 41-year career at Bell Labs and AT&T Labs. His seminal work on laser resonator modes is considered a classic. Since the late 1960s, He and his groups have conducted pioneering studies on lightwave technologies and systems. He led the work on amplified WDM transmission systems and championed their deployment for upgrading network capacity. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. He is a recipient of the IEEE David Sarnoff Award, IEEE/OSA John Tyndall Award, OSA Ives Medal/Quinn Endowment, AT&T Science and Technology Medal, and IEEE Photonics Award. Alan Willner has worked at AT&T Bell Labs and Bellcore, and he is Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Southern California. He received the NSF Presidential Faculty Fellows Award from the White House, Packard Foundation Fellowship, NSF National Young Investigator Award, Fulbright Foundation Senior Scholar, IEEE LEOS Distinguished Lecturer, and USC University-Wide Award for Excellence in Teaching. He is a Fellow of IEEE and OSA, and he has been President of the IEEE LEOS, Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE/OSA J. of Lightwave Technology, Editor-in-Chief of Optics Letters, Co-Chair of the OSA Science & Engineering Council, and General Co-Chair of the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics. For nearly three decades, the OFT series has served as the comprehensive primary resource covering progress in the science and technology of optical fiber telecom. It has been essential for the bookshelves of scientists and engineers active in the field. OFT V provides updates on considerable progress in established disciplines, as well as introductions to new topics. [OFT V]... generates a value that is even higher than that of the sum of its chapters.
Core and Metro Networks
Author: Alexandros Stavdas
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 9780470683583
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 512
Book Description
Find out everything you need to know about how current networks will have to evolve to provide for future broadband services In this book, the authors provide an overview of the status, challenges, architectures, and technological solutions for core and metropolitan networks. Furthermore, the book describes the current state of core and metropolitan telecommunication networks, as well as the drivers and motives behind the current paradigm shift in the telecommunications industry. Moreover, the authors elaborate system design guidelines for both point-to-point and multi-hop optical networks taking into consideration the analogue nature of the transmission channel. Key Features: Provides coverage of all aspects of core and metro networks supporting future broadband services, and a detailed description of the state-of-the-art Presents a clear path for migrating from point-to-point to data-centric, dynamic, multi-hop optical networks Shows how current systems will need to evolve over the coming years, summarizing challenges and issues to be investigated in future research Covers a wide range of topics from network architectures, to control plane, to key optical and optoelectronic devices, and best practice in transmission and system design Provides results, best practices and guidelines for various technical problems, including numerous hands-on examples Written by authors from cutting-edge companies such as Alcatel-Lucent, Siemens, Lucent, France Telecom, BT, and Telefonica Optical Core and Metro Networks will be of interest to researchers in industry and academia, and advanced (final year undergraduate) and postgraduate students undertaking communications, networking and optics courses.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 9780470683583
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 512
Book Description
Find out everything you need to know about how current networks will have to evolve to provide for future broadband services In this book, the authors provide an overview of the status, challenges, architectures, and technological solutions for core and metropolitan networks. Furthermore, the book describes the current state of core and metropolitan telecommunication networks, as well as the drivers and motives behind the current paradigm shift in the telecommunications industry. Moreover, the authors elaborate system design guidelines for both point-to-point and multi-hop optical networks taking into consideration the analogue nature of the transmission channel. Key Features: Provides coverage of all aspects of core and metro networks supporting future broadband services, and a detailed description of the state-of-the-art Presents a clear path for migrating from point-to-point to data-centric, dynamic, multi-hop optical networks Shows how current systems will need to evolve over the coming years, summarizing challenges and issues to be investigated in future research Covers a wide range of topics from network architectures, to control plane, to key optical and optoelectronic devices, and best practice in transmission and system design Provides results, best practices and guidelines for various technical problems, including numerous hands-on examples Written by authors from cutting-edge companies such as Alcatel-Lucent, Siemens, Lucent, France Telecom, BT, and Telefonica Optical Core and Metro Networks will be of interest to researchers in industry and academia, and advanced (final year undergraduate) and postgraduate students undertaking communications, networking and optics courses.
Optical Networks
Author: Giancarlo de Marchis
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 0387353984
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 186
Book Description
Optical network design and modelling is an essential issue for planning and operating networks for the next century. The main issues in optical networking are being widely investigated, not only for WDM networks but also for optical TDM and optical packet switching. This book contributes to further progress in optical network architectures, design, operation and management and covers the following topics in detail: Routing strategies and algorithms for optical networks; Network planning and design; Wavelength conversion and wavelength assignment in optical networks; Technologies for optical networks (transport, access and local area networks); Transmission aspects in wide area optical networks; New paradigms for traffic modelling. This book contains the selected proceedings of the Second International Working Conference on Optical Network Design and Modelling, which was sponsored by the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP), and held in February 1998, in Rome, Italy. This valuable new book will be essential reading for personnel in computer/communication industries, and for academic and research staff in computer science and electrical engineering.
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 0387353984
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 186
Book Description
Optical network design and modelling is an essential issue for planning and operating networks for the next century. The main issues in optical networking are being widely investigated, not only for WDM networks but also for optical TDM and optical packet switching. This book contributes to further progress in optical network architectures, design, operation and management and covers the following topics in detail: Routing strategies and algorithms for optical networks; Network planning and design; Wavelength conversion and wavelength assignment in optical networks; Technologies for optical networks (transport, access and local area networks); Transmission aspects in wide area optical networks; New paradigms for traffic modelling. This book contains the selected proceedings of the Second International Working Conference on Optical Network Design and Modelling, which was sponsored by the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP), and held in February 1998, in Rome, Italy. This valuable new book will be essential reading for personnel in computer/communication industries, and for academic and research staff in computer science and electrical engineering.
Photonic Networks, Optical Technology and Infrastructure
Author: D. W. Faulkner
Publisher: IOS Press
ISBN: 9789051993417
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 316
Book Description
All optical networks offer new possibilities for high bandwidth applications. New techniques are demonstrated for optical switching and network management for complex optical networks. WDM systems allow upgrading of the backbone optical network. This work explores the current state of research and future developments of optical network technology and applications. Photonic networks are discussed from a variety of viewpoints, including network analysis, modelling and simulation, active and passive devices, as well as packaging.
Publisher: IOS Press
ISBN: 9789051993417
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 316
Book Description
All optical networks offer new possibilities for high bandwidth applications. New techniques are demonstrated for optical switching and network management for complex optical networks. WDM systems allow upgrading of the backbone optical network. This work explores the current state of research and future developments of optical network technology and applications. Photonic networks are discussed from a variety of viewpoints, including network analysis, modelling and simulation, active and passive devices, as well as packaging.
Understanding Optical Communications
Author: Harry J. R. Dutton
Publisher: Prentice Hall
ISBN: 9780130201416
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 760
Book Description
2014A-8 The complete, up-to-date technical overview of optical communications. Fibre in the WAN, MAN, local loop, campus and LAN. Up-to-the-minute coverage of Wavelength Division Multiplexing. Previews today's advanced research--tomorrow's practical applications. Over the past 15 years, optical fibre's low cost, accuracy and enormous capacity has revolutionized wide area communications--making possible the Internet as we know it. Now a second fibre revolution is underway. Advanced technologies such as Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) are adding even more capacity, and fibre is increasingly the media of choice in MANs, campuses, buildings, LANs--soon, even homes. If you need to understand the state-of-the-art in optical communications, Understanding Optical Communications is the most complete, up-to-date technical overview available. Fundamental principles and components of optical communications. Optical communications systems, interfaces and engineering challenges. FDDI, Ethernet on Fibre, ESCON, Fibre Channel, SONET/SDH and ATM. WDM: sparse and dense approaches, photonic networking, WDM for LANs and WDM standards. Fibre in the local loop, integration with HFC networks and passive optical networks. Understanding Optical Communications reviews key technical issues facing engineers as they extend fibre into new applications and markets. It presents an up-to-the-minute status report on WDM for LANs and MANs, including a rare glimpse at IBM's latest experimental systems. It points to the advanced research most likely to bear fruit: dark and spatial solitons, advanced fibres, plastic technologies, optical CDMA, TDM and packet-networks and more. Whether you're building optical systems or planning for them, this is the briefing you've been looking for.
Publisher: Prentice Hall
ISBN: 9780130201416
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 760
Book Description
2014A-8 The complete, up-to-date technical overview of optical communications. Fibre in the WAN, MAN, local loop, campus and LAN. Up-to-the-minute coverage of Wavelength Division Multiplexing. Previews today's advanced research--tomorrow's practical applications. Over the past 15 years, optical fibre's low cost, accuracy and enormous capacity has revolutionized wide area communications--making possible the Internet as we know it. Now a second fibre revolution is underway. Advanced technologies such as Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) are adding even more capacity, and fibre is increasingly the media of choice in MANs, campuses, buildings, LANs--soon, even homes. If you need to understand the state-of-the-art in optical communications, Understanding Optical Communications is the most complete, up-to-date technical overview available. Fundamental principles and components of optical communications. Optical communications systems, interfaces and engineering challenges. FDDI, Ethernet on Fibre, ESCON, Fibre Channel, SONET/SDH and ATM. WDM: sparse and dense approaches, photonic networking, WDM for LANs and WDM standards. Fibre in the local loop, integration with HFC networks and passive optical networks. Understanding Optical Communications reviews key technical issues facing engineers as they extend fibre into new applications and markets. It presents an up-to-the-minute status report on WDM for LANs and MANs, including a rare glimpse at IBM's latest experimental systems. It points to the advanced research most likely to bear fruit: dark and spatial solitons, advanced fibres, plastic technologies, optical CDMA, TDM and packet-networks and more. Whether you're building optical systems or planning for them, this is the briefing you've been looking for.
Optical WDM Networks
Author: Krishna M. Sivalingam
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0306470217
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 351
Book Description
Optical WDM networking technology is spearheading a bandwidth revolution in the networking infrastructure being developed for the next generation Internet. Rapid advances in optical components have enabled the transition from point-to-point WDM links to all-optical networking. Optical WDM Networks: Principles and Practice presents some of the most important challenges facing the optical networking community, along with some suggested solutions. Earlier textbooks in optical networking have a narrower perspective, and rapidly advancing research has created the need for fresh and current information on problems and issues in the field. The volume editors and contributing authors have endeavoured to capture a substantial subset of the key problems and known solutions to these problems. All of the chapters are original contributions from leading international researchers. The chapters address a wide variety of topics, including the state of the art in WDM technology, physical components that make up WDM fiber-optic networks, medium access protocols, wavelength routed networks, optical access networks, network management, and performance evaluation of wavelength routing networks. The chapters also survey critical points in past research and tackle more recent problems. Practitioners and network product engineers interested in current state-of-the-art information beyond textbook-type coverage, and graduate students commencing research in this area, will appreciate the concise - and pertinent - information presented herein.
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 0306470217
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 351
Book Description
Optical WDM networking technology is spearheading a bandwidth revolution in the networking infrastructure being developed for the next generation Internet. Rapid advances in optical components have enabled the transition from point-to-point WDM links to all-optical networking. Optical WDM Networks: Principles and Practice presents some of the most important challenges facing the optical networking community, along with some suggested solutions. Earlier textbooks in optical networking have a narrower perspective, and rapidly advancing research has created the need for fresh and current information on problems and issues in the field. The volume editors and contributing authors have endeavoured to capture a substantial subset of the key problems and known solutions to these problems. All of the chapters are original contributions from leading international researchers. The chapters address a wide variety of topics, including the state of the art in WDM technology, physical components that make up WDM fiber-optic networks, medium access protocols, wavelength routed networks, optical access networks, network management, and performance evaluation of wavelength routing networks. The chapters also survey critical points in past research and tackle more recent problems. Practitioners and network product engineers interested in current state-of-the-art information beyond textbook-type coverage, and graduate students commencing research in this area, will appreciate the concise - and pertinent - information presented herein.
Communication Cables and Related Technologies
Author: Alan Harmer
Publisher: IOS Press
ISBN: 9789051994049
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 470
Book Description
The subject Fibre optic cables forms a major part of the conference and continues to progress with many new developments. Topics include new designs and cable formats, very high-density fibre cables for the access network and buildings, special cables for particular applications, installation in ducts or as aerial cables, replacement and repair of cables, field testing, PMD measurements and OTDR, network monitoring and fault finding, test equipment, and connector and splicing techniques. The planning, installation and maintenance of cables and associated hardware form the vital core of a successful network. This subject addresses the issues of planning and design using new tools such as artificial intelligence, reliability, preventive maintenance and strategies for maintenance, installation issues and costs. Materials development is vital for the communications cable industry. Subjects considered are: - new materials technology - polymeric materials coating and filling technology - fabrication techniques and extrusion - materials related to cable performance - smoke and fire performance - environmental performance The final part of this publication deals with fibre technology. This includes new fibre designs such as: multicore fibres fibre fabrication mechanical strength and reliability coating technology colouring of fibre coatings new materials
Publisher: IOS Press
ISBN: 9789051994049
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 470
Book Description
The subject Fibre optic cables forms a major part of the conference and continues to progress with many new developments. Topics include new designs and cable formats, very high-density fibre cables for the access network and buildings, special cables for particular applications, installation in ducts or as aerial cables, replacement and repair of cables, field testing, PMD measurements and OTDR, network monitoring and fault finding, test equipment, and connector and splicing techniques. The planning, installation and maintenance of cables and associated hardware form the vital core of a successful network. This subject addresses the issues of planning and design using new tools such as artificial intelligence, reliability, preventive maintenance and strategies for maintenance, installation issues and costs. Materials development is vital for the communications cable industry. Subjects considered are: - new materials technology - polymeric materials coating and filling technology - fabrication techniques and extrusion - materials related to cable performance - smoke and fire performance - environmental performance The final part of this publication deals with fibre technology. This includes new fibre designs such as: multicore fibres fibre fabrication mechanical strength and reliability coating technology colouring of fibre coatings new materials
Broadband Access Networks
Author: Leif Aarthun Ims
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 146155795X
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 379
Book Description
The access network is expected to be one of the major battlegrounds of telecommunications network operators, since upgrades of the existing narrowband access network will be the critical factor in supplying multimedia broadband services in a competitive market. The future broadband access network architecture needs to be flexible enough to efficiently support the provision of a full set of broadband and narrowband services with a wide range of capacity demands. A wide range of broadband access technologies are available. Furthermore, the key issues in the upgrading of the very cost sensitive access network are financial as well as technological, both for incumbent and new entrant operators. Thus, in order to identify minimum-risk introductory strategies the economic viability of access network broadband upgrades needs to be carefully assessed. However, despite the definite need for techno-economic evaluations, very few books have been published in this field. One of the reasons might be that broadband access network upgrading only very recently gained wide recognition as a key challenge for broadband delivery. Secondly, this kind of strategic work and these studies tend to be considered rather sensitive by operators, and thus both results and methodologies are not usually readily available. Thirdly, the work reported in this book in many respects was a major pioneering effort, which quite ambitiously aimed at modelling the whole life-cycle costs and revenue streams of access network upgrades, as opposed to several other efforts, which often are limited to pure investment cost comparisons.
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 146155795X
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 379
Book Description
The access network is expected to be one of the major battlegrounds of telecommunications network operators, since upgrades of the existing narrowband access network will be the critical factor in supplying multimedia broadband services in a competitive market. The future broadband access network architecture needs to be flexible enough to efficiently support the provision of a full set of broadband and narrowband services with a wide range of capacity demands. A wide range of broadband access technologies are available. Furthermore, the key issues in the upgrading of the very cost sensitive access network are financial as well as technological, both for incumbent and new entrant operators. Thus, in order to identify minimum-risk introductory strategies the economic viability of access network broadband upgrades needs to be carefully assessed. However, despite the definite need for techno-economic evaluations, very few books have been published in this field. One of the reasons might be that broadband access network upgrading only very recently gained wide recognition as a key challenge for broadband delivery. Secondly, this kind of strategic work and these studies tend to be considered rather sensitive by operators, and thus both results and methodologies are not usually readily available. Thirdly, the work reported in this book in many respects was a major pioneering effort, which quite ambitiously aimed at modelling the whole life-cycle costs and revenue streams of access network upgrades, as opposed to several other efforts, which often are limited to pure investment cost comparisons.