Optical networking solutions for next-generation internet networks [Guest Editorial]

The editorial calendar of IEEE Communications Magazine contains several topics relating to optical networking. This witnesses the increasing interest in optical technology to provide networking solutions for the huge growth of traffic. We would like to mention here the motivations for this feature topic specifically dedicated to optical networking solutions for next-generation Internet networks. The first issue is the significant growth of data traffic, mainly driven by Internet-based services. Several statistics and forecasts have already been reported in the literature, comparing the evolution of IP traffic to that of traditional telephone traffic. As usual, such predictions can fail in the details, the crossing points get shifted in the time frame; however, it is clear that data traffic will playa dominant role in the future of telecommunications. Actually, the traditional telecom and datacom worlds are converging. The revolution in what is generally named the "infocom" area is having an impact on the market, industrial, and scientific environments.