- All
- Product Name
- Product Keyword
- Product Model
- Product Summary
- Product Description
- Multi Field Search
Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2025-10-27 Origin: Site
In the digital age, the Internet has become the core infrastructure for our life, production and innovation. From daily video calls to enterprise cloud services, and then to AI-driven intelligent applications, data traffic has grown exponentially. According to IDC's prediction, by 2025, the global data volume will reach 175ZB, which means that traditional network architectures are facing severe challenges: bandwidth bottlenecks, latency issues, high energy consumption, and the continuous rise in maintenance costs. At this time, the All-Optical Network (abbreviated as AON) came into being. It is not a simple upgrade but a revolutionary transformation - allowing optical signals to "roam freely" throughout the entire process without the need for frequent electro-optical conversions, achieving true "light-speed" communication.
Why do we use all-optical networks? In simple terms, it has solved the "electrical bottleneck" of traditional networks and unlocked the unlimited potential of optical fibers. In this blog, we will delve deeply into the essence, advantages, application scenarios of all-optical networks, and how they will lead the future development of networks. Whether you are an IT professional, a business decision-maker, or an ordinary reader interested in technology, this article will take you through a comprehensive understanding of why all-optical networks are not "optional" but "necessary".
For those seeking cutting-edge solutions, brands like ZORA (www.zoracz.com), with over 30 years of expertise in fiber optic innovation, are at the forefront in providing reliable, high-performance AON implementations.
To understand why all-optical networks are used, it is first necessary to figure out exactly what they are. An all-optical network is a network architecture that uses optical fibers as the transmission medium to complete signal transmission, switching and processing within the optical domain. Unlike traditional electro-optical hybrid networks, in all-optical networks, signals always remain in optical form and only undergo electro-optical/electro-optical conversion at the network edge. This is just like a highway: traditional networks are like constantly stopping and changing vehicles on the road (photoelectric conversion), while all-optical networks are like unobstructed direct highways throughout the journey.
The origin of all-optical networks can be traced back to the fiber optic communication revolution in the 1980s. At that time, optical fibers replaced copper cables as the mainstream because of their long transmission distance and low loss. However, early networks still relied on electronic devices to process signals, leading to a "photoelectric bottleneck" - optical signals were as fast as lightning, while electronic processing was as slow as a turtle. Entering the 1990s, the emergence of wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technology enabled a single optical fiber to simultaneously transmit signals of multiple wavelengths, promoting the embryonic development of all-optical networks. After 2000, with the maturation of reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers (ROADM) and optical cross-connect (OXC), all-optical networks moved from the laboratory to commercial use.
Nowadays, all-optical networks are divided into two major categories: passive optical networks (PON) and active optical networks (AON). PON, such as GPON/EPON, uses passive splitters and is suitable for the access layer. AON achieves dynamic routing through optical switches and is suitable for the core/aggregation layer. In China, solutions from manufacturers such as ZORA, Huawei, and Ruijie have been widely deployed, propelling the advent of the "all-optical gigabit" era. As part of Changzhou Shenghao Intelligent Technology co., LTD., established in 1995, ZORA (www.zoracz.com) has taken root in China. Its innovations such as OS2 single-mode optical fiber cablesand MPO backbone network solutions have driven the "all-optical gigabit" era, providing customized OEM/ODM services to over 150 countries.
A typical all-optical network includes:
Optical Line Terminal (OLT) : The "heart" of the network, responsible for signal convergence and distribution, and supporting multi-wavelength management.
Optical Network Unit (ONU/ONT) : A user-end device that handles photoelectric conversion and supports multi-service access such as WiFi and video.
Passive optical Splitter: Signal distributor, no power supply required, reducing energy consumption.
- Optical fibers and amplifiers: Transmission media, such as single-mode optical fibers, can reach up to 20 kilometers without relays; Signal amplification is achieved through EDFA (Erbium-doped Fiber Amplifier).
These components flatten the network structure: from the core to the edge, there are only 2-3 layers, significantly reducing management complexity compared to the 5-7 layers in traditional networks. Imagine in a 5,000-square-meter office park, with an all-optical network, just a few optical fibers can cover every corner, rather than a "spider web" filled with copper cables.
All-optical networks are not science fiction; they have been deployed globally: AT&T's "All-Optical 10G" network in the United States covers millions of users, and China Telecom's "Optical City" project benefits hundreds of millions of families. Why is it so popular? Because it directly targets the pain points of traditional networks.
Before embracing all-optical networks, let's first examine the limitations of traditional networks. Traditional Ethernet or electro-optical hybrid networks rely on copper cables or electronic switches. On the surface, they seem "sufficient", but in the era of data explosion, they have shown signs of fatigue.
The transmission rate of optical fibers can reach 400Gbps per wavelength, but the processing rate of electronic devices is only 10 to 100 GBPS. Every time a signal changes from light to electricity and then back to light, it requires time and energy, resulting in accumulated delay. In AI training scenarios, this means a waste of several hours of computing time. Giants like Google have realized that the switching speed of traditional OCS (Optical cross-Connect) is only at the millisecond level, which cannot meet the instantaneous demands of TPU.
Copper cables have a transmission limit of 100 meters, with attenuation as high as 94% (within 100 meters), and are vulnerable to electromagnetic interference. Optical fiber? Only 3% attenuation, 20km without relay. The bandwidth utilization rate during peak hours of traditional networks is less than 60%, while that of all-optical networks is over 92%. For small and medium-sized enterprises, video conferences or cloud backups often lag due to these bottlenecks.
Copper cables have a lifespan of 10 years but are prone to corrosion. Optical fiber lasts for 30 years and is durable. Traditional networks have multiple levels, complex fault detection, and operation and maintenance costs account for more than 30% of the total expenditure. The all-optical network passive design reduces equipment by 50% and lowers energy consumption by 30%.
Copper cables are prone to eavesdropping, while optical fibers have high physical security. Traditional network protocols are incompatible, and new and old services are mixed. All-optical network transparent transmission, supporting any rate/protocol, no need for reconfiguration.
These pain points are magnified in the 5G and IoT era: Gartner predicts that by 2025, 85% of enterprises will prioritize cloud computing, and bandwidth demand will increase tenfold. Traditional networks have reached their limits, and all-optical networks offer the antidote.
The advantages of all-optical networks are not just empty talk but are "hard power" verified by data and practice. Now, let's analyze them one by one.
The biggest selling point of all-optical networks is bandwidth. The entire process is optical transmission with no conversion loss. A single optical fiber can reach TbPs-level capacity (n channels of 10Gbps) through WDM. Compared with copper wire at 512Kbps, the all-optical network starts at 50-100Mbps, and EPON reaches 2.5G per port.
In terms of delay, the speed of optical signal propagation reaches two-thirds of the speed of light, with no electronic bottlenecks and an end-to-end delay of less than 1ms. The AI era is particularly crucial: traditional network electrical processing hinders training efficiency. All-optical switching eliminates this obstacle, and Google has already commercialized it using coherent optical technology. For instance, in data center interconnection, all-optical networks support a single wave of 400Gbps, far exceeding the upper limit of 100Gbps for electronic switching.
The optical fiber attenuation is only 0.2dB/km, and the single-mode can reach 20km without a relay. Anti-electromagnetic interference, suitable for environments such as factories and hospitals. In terms of reliability, it supports Type B/C protection, 50ms switching, and dynamic route reconstruction with self-healing function. Passive components reduce failure points, with an MTBF of over 10 years.
Case: Ruijie deployed a "one machine, dual networks" solution in the hospital, isolating the internal and external networks, with over 200,000 cases entering the hospital without any interruption.
All-optical network flat architecture, with two layers covering large campuses. Expand the virtual wavelength channel, and the new node does not interfere with the old network. Maintenance? ONU maintenance-free, OLT one-click monitoring, fault prediction.
Compared with the traditional method, the wiring resources are saved by 80%. The upgrade only requires the replacement of modules and there is no need to rewire. Small and medium-sized enterprises favor this point: plug-and-play deployment, with a 50% reduction in the cycle.
All-optical network open routing, supporting unified carrying of broadband, voice, video, WiFi and CATV. High transparency, no restrictions on protocol/rate, and no end-to-end modification of customer data.
In smart hotels, the integration of multiple networks reduces equipment by 30%. In terms of security, optical fibers are difficult to intercept and support encrypted channels.
All-optical networks consume 50% less energy, and the absence of relays reduces air conditioning/machine rooms. The cost of optical fiber is only one fifth of that of copper cable, its lifespan is three times that of copper cable, and the total cost of ownership (TCO) is reduced by 40%.
In the long term, a single wiring can meet the demand for 30 years, with a high ROI. Small and medium-sized enterprises can use all-optical WiFi with discounted rates to facilitate digital transformation.
Optical fiber physical security, ONT inherent encryption. Reconfigurable: Business changes, dynamic optical channel construction, and support for inter-network interconnection.
These advantages work together to make all-optical networks stand out in high-load scenarios.
All-optical networks are not limited to laboratories; they have been implemented in multiple fields.
In the office building, gigabit WiFi roaming is achieved using the POL network. Beijing Telecom provides 4G/5G all-optical broadband for small and medium-sized enterprises, covering cloud services /IoT, with a failure rate of less than 0.1%.
The hospital HIS/PACS system requires low latency and a fully optical network to isolate the imaging room/ward network. The Ruijie solution supports 4-port gigabit +2.5G optical ports. The campus research network uses all-optical to carry 4K videos, doubling the bandwidth.
Factory digitalization: High bit rate processing of multimedia. The hotel integrates multiple services, and each guest room enjoys an exclusive 100Mbps.
AI training requires Tbps interconnection. All-optical switching solves the bottleneck. Huawei's Ethernet all-optical machine supports the optical port core.
These scenarios prove that all-optical networks can improve efficiency by 20-50%.
Looking to the future, all-optical networks will dominate. DWDM boosts capacity to the PB level, and optical packet switching (OPS) enables nanosecond switching. In the AI era, electrical bottlenecks have become the focus, and the latency of all-optical neural networks is superior to that of electronic ones.
6G requires terahertz optical communication, and an all-optical network is the cornerstone. China's "East Data West Computing" project has adopted all-optical backbones, and the global market is expected to exceed 500 billion USD by 2025.
Why use all-optical networks? Because it is not just faster and farther, but more reliable, smarter and more sustainable. In the torrent of data, it serves as a bridge, connecting the present with boundless possibilities. If an enterprise hesitates, it will fall behind. Those who act will lead. It is recommended to start with the POL pilot and consult the ZORA program (www.zoracz.com). The future is here - the all-optical era awaits your journey together.
