#optical transport #Vienna #Austria #AI Network #Huawei OTN

Huawei's Vision for the Future of Optical Networks

At the recent NetworkX 2026, Huawei unveiled its transformative vision of an entirely optical network known as LIGHTS, presented during the Optical Transport Innovation Summit in Vienna. This network is designed to operate intrinsically with Artificial Intelligence (AI), aiming to encourage internet service operators to capitalize on new growth opportunities presented by AI advancements.

Shaping the Network Landscape with AI

AI technology is shifting the landscape for telecommunication operators, offering three distinct channels of opportunity: data center interconnections for hyperscalers, private lines for enterprise computing power, and integrated network and computing services. This transition redefines optical transport from a consumer-driven model to one that serves businesses and harnesses the potential of AI.

Huawei's next-generation OTN (Optical Transport Network) is at the core of this transformation, tailored to support the AI-centric optical network solution that operators need to drive their business forward. Emphasizing critical capabilities such as low latency, intelligent operation, ecological architecture, high reliability, terabit-level capacity, and robust security measures, Huawei's LIGHTS is a strategic priority for operators navigating the AI epoch.

The Role of Next-Generation OTN

As described by Gavin Gu, head of Huawei’s optical transmission network domain, the next-generation OTN addresses the essential requirements for building the LIGHTS network, ensuring it covers multiple use cases including Data Center Interconnect (DCI) and Direct Current Access (DCA). For DCI, the OTN facilitates ultra-high speeds from 800G to 2T, optimizing fiber capacity and enabling rapid market launches. This addresses the significant bandwidth requirements and swift traffic delivery that modern digital businesses demand.

For DCA applications, Huawei's solutions integrate end-to-end optical cross-connects (OXC) for direct one-hop mesh architectures, alongside millisecond-level Wavelength Switched Optical Networks (WSON) and flexible bandwidth solutions ranging from 10 Mbps to 1 Gbps. This array of features not only guarantees high availability but also includes an integrated Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) for enhanced encryption capabilities. The upgraded OTN hardware and software crafted by Huawei provides an uninterrupted and reliable network experience.

Accelerating Business Growth through Optical Networks

The LIGHTS fully optical network facilitates a significant paradigm shift for operators as they migrate from bandwidth-centric sales models to providing foundational capacity and valuable services. Businesses are finding new ways to deliver dedicated private lines for computation, evolving from a singular bandwidth perspective to a multi-faceted approach that encompasses bandwidth, latency, reliability, and security—a combination that enables operators to provide differentiated services tailored to various sectors.

Moreover, convergence between computing and network services is quickening, with examples emerging from regions like Hubei in China, where operators leverage integrated advantages in both sectors to offer services across education, healthcare, and finance domains.

The fully optical LIGHTS network geared towards AI aims to assist operators in seizing AI-laden opportunities, achieving network monetization and ultimately fueling business growth. As Huawei seeks collaboration with industry partners, the objective is clear: to champion technological innovation and marketplace expansion, thereby hastening the evolution of the optical transport sector during the AI era.