The evolution of a reliable transport network

This article shows how transport networks may evolve in the future, driven by new technologies and new customer requirements for cost, reliability, and traffic growth. It does not simply compare new technologies and architectures, but accepts that most operators are not starting with a green-field site. It therefore also addresses the operator's problems of introducing and integrating new technologies into existing transport networks and migrating services from one transport technology to another. This in turn drives different technologies to evolve to new levels of reliability over time. The article is written from the perspective of an established European network operator, and differences are brought out from the evolution of networks in North America.