<title>Architectural and engineering issues for building an optical Internet</title>

Recent developments in high density Wave Division Multiplexing fiber systems allows for the deployment of a dedicated optical Internet network for large volume backbone pipes that does not require an underlying multi-service SONET/SDH and ATM transport protocol. Some intrinsic characteristics of Internet traffic such as its self similar nature, server bound congestion, routing and data asymmetry allow for highly optimized traffic engineered networks using individual wavelengths. By transmitting GigaBit Ethernet or SONET/SDH frames natively over WDM wavelengths that directly interconnect high performance routers the original concept of the Internet as an intrinsically survivable datagram network is possible. Traffic engineering, restoral, protection and bandwidth management of the network must now be carried out at the IP layer and so new routing or switching protocols such as MPLS that allow for uni- directional paths with fast restoral and protection at the IP layer become essential for a reliable production network. The deployment of high density WDM municipal and campus networks also gives carriers and ISPs the flexibility to offer customers as integrated and seamless set of optical Internet services.