Reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer

A new form of Add drop multiplexer, called a Reconfigurable Add Drop Multiplexer, that essentially adds the ability to switch individual networks. The key differentiating features or ROADMs is the ability to switch traffic and both the wavenlength and SONET/SDH layers.

ROADM functionality is not new, indeed most long-haul DWDM equipment has ROADM functionality built in today (2005). What's new is the appearence of these features in purpose built metro optical gear, an application that has been long hyped but is only now begining to gain customer support.

The ROADM market is starting to take off in 2005, largely for because of the coming need to build out major metropolitan networks to deal with all the traffic being driven by ILEC [Triple Play]] service, MSO video transport needs, and ever-increasing demand for packet data services (as opposed to older ATM/frame/T1 services).