As society comes to depend more and more on information technology services, one of the issues faced by providers is the demand for more dynamic and adaptable networks. In a perfect world, they could benefit from having optical fibers, the backbone of our high-speed internet, branched and merged seamlessly, without a single moment of downtime.

NTT is working hard to bring that world a bit closer, by developing a more flexible and resilient optical network infrastructure.

Traditionally, modifying network configurations meant planned maintenance and the temporary switch-off of service, resulting in high costs and substantial downtime. And why? It's down to the need for matching effective refractive indices between the optical fibers being connected.

The effective refractive index in optical fibers measures how light slows down in the fiber compared to a vacuum. Until now, altering network configurations has meant downtime, while the indices were adjusted and measured so that they matched up with each other.

NTT has developed a fabrication method for branched optical fibers with variable core diameters. By adjusting the core diameter, the new fibers can match the effective refractive indices of a wide range of existing fibers. In practical terms, this means that service stoppages are no longer needed during network reconfigurations, cutting costs and deployment times. Various types of optical fibers can now branch and merge seamlessly, improving both network flexibility and reliability.

What does that mean for you and us? Here are just a few ways in which this—let's be honest—unexciting-sounding technology could benefit our connected landscape:

Healthcare: Hospitals rely on uninterrupted data flow for patient monitoring systems. This technology can ensure continuous connectivity for medical devices, which means better patient care by providing real-time health data without network downtime.

Disaster Response: In emergencies, establishing communication networks quickly is vital. Look forward to rapid deployment of communication infrastructure, ensuring first responders have reliable connectivity when it matters most.

Industrial Automation: Factories increasingly use IoT devices for monitoring and automation. Seamless integration of new devices into existing networks without stopping production could boost efficiency and reduce downtime.

NTT offers a future where our digital infrastructure is as flexible as our needs, with big savings in facility construction costs for telecommunications carriers and a huge reduction in the time taken to deploy new network configurations.

We're not there yet, but NTT is continuing to refine the technology. A next step will be field verification using prototype devices, to validate its practical applications, with the goal of creating a highly flexible optical network that can connect from anywhere, able to adapt to diverse and rapidly changing user needs.

A new era of connectivity, with better network flexibility, lower costs, and shorter deployment times. Stronger digital infrastructure and possibilities for smart cities, healthcare, disaster response, and industrial automation. Did we say unexciting?

NTT—Innovating the Future of the Internet

For further information, please see this link:
https://group.ntt/en/newsrelease/2024/04/24/240424b.html

If you have any questions on the content of this article, please contact:
NTT Information Network Laboratory Group Public Relations
nttrd-pr@ml.ntt.com

Daniel O'Connor

Daniel O'Connor joined the NTT Group in 1999 when he began work as the Public Relations Manager of NTT Europe. While in London, he liaised with the local press, created the company's intranet site, wrote technical copy for industry magazines and managed exhibition stands from initial design to finished displays.

Later seconded to the headquarters of NTT Communications in Tokyo, he contributed to the company's first-ever winning of global telecoms awards and the digitalisation of internal company information exchange.

Since 2015 Daniel has created content for the Group's Global Leadership Institute, the One NTT Network and is currently working with NTT R&D teams to grow public understanding of the cutting-edge research undertaken by the NTT Group.