Innovation and Utility in the Optical Transport Network

This chapter addresses the introduction of a Multi-service Provisioning Platform (MSPP) into the transmission segment of the communication network. The first company to do so was Cerent Corporation. Although it was initially introduced in the United States in 1998, acceptance was rapid, and MSPPs found there way into the balance of the world market shortly thereafter. MSPP innovation enabled both new and existing service providers to leverage existing optical transmission infrastructure with increased functionality. Introduction of MSPPs enabled the proliferation of Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) through the synthesis of traditional voice and emerging Internet traffic. The bandwidth bottleneck created by voice-only-based equipment was broken by the MSPPs and positioned the Internet for carriage of even higher bandwidth video traffic. The utility of the MSPP approach, as viewed by the telecoms, made it both a market success and a new standard to which all manufacturers adhere.