MERGING FOREIGN OPTICAL CHANNELS IN AN OPTICAL COMMUNICATION NETWORK

摘要

A technology is described for interlacing communication traffic carried along one or more foreign optical channels with communication traffic carried along an optical network, which network is adapted to handle a pre-defined number of original optical channels and characterized in that no communication traffic is being conveyed along one or more non-operative channels among the pre-defined number of optical channels. The technology comprises adapting at least one parameter (such as wavelength, power, chromatic dispersion, pilot tone) characterizing optical signals transmitted along the one or more foreign channels, so as to bring the parameter(s) into conformity with respective at least one parameter characterizing optical signals to be transmitted along the original optical channels. The adaptation is performed at the optical layer of the optical network.