Design and feasibility analysis of the physical layer for the academic WDM ring of Mexico City

The design of three optical links that constitute a ring network interconnecting three of the main research institutions of Mexico City is presented. A quantitative analysis proves the feasibility of the network's physical layer deployment in terms of attenuation and dispersion. Six combinations of fiber, wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technology, and bit rate that follow current standards are considered. The calculations show that attenuation is the most relevant limiting performance factor, mainly due to the large number of connectors and splices required during installation. The optimum deployment scenario is found to consist of 40 channels at 10 Gb/s over standard single-mode fiber following an ITU-T G.694.1 grid on C band. Its extension to include S and L bands is also feasible. The ring put forward here will compose the first and most advanced WDM network in Mexican academia so far.