The way our networks are built today is beginning to show its limitations. As we move towards increasingly demanding applications such as 5G, 6G, cloud computing and artificial intelligence, existing infrastructure faces serious challenges. One of the most pressing issues comes from the repeated process of converting data between optical and electrical signals. This is where the concept of the All-Photonics Network, or APN, within the Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN) vision, becomes important.
Why current networks face limitations
Most of the global internet traffic already travels through fibre optic cables, with more than ninety five percent of international data carried undersea by this technology. Fibre has enormous capacity, yet in practice much of this potential is lost. The reason is that whenever an optical signal enters a router, switch or similar device, it must be converted into electrical form and later back again into optical form. This process, often referred to as optical to electrical to optical conversion, introduces three critical problems.
First, every conversion step adds latency. Second, the conversion process wastes energy, increasing the overall power footprint of the network. Third, Ethernet and other electrical interfaces cannot match the full capacity of fibre, reducing the amount of data that can actually be transported. These may sound like small inefficiencies, but once scaled across large networks, they become major barriers.
Broader infrastructure challenges
Beyond these technical conversion issues, current network architectures are showing their age. Optical access networks are typically designed for basic broadband connections, but the rise of 5G and the future demand for 6G require much more specialised fibre deployments. This leads to duplication, with separate networks needed for different services. The result is fragmented infrastructure that is costly to maintain and difficult to scale.
The link between devices and cloud data centres also suffers from delays, often measured in tens of milliseconds, as traffic must pass through multiple layers of the network. Edge computing has been introduced to bring resources closer to the user, but this reduces the cost advantages of centralised cloud and raises concerns about dependency on single providers. Meanwhile, hyperscale cloud data centres consume more than one hundred megawatts of power, placing huge demands on communities and making it challenging to run entirely on renewable energy.
The All-Photonics Network as a solution
The All-Photonics Network addresses these issues by replacing electrical conversions with photonic transmission end to end. In practice, this involves the use of fibre throughout the network along with photonic gateways. The result is significantly lower latency, far better energy efficiency and much higher transmission capacity.
NTT Docomo has demonstrated what this can mean in practical terms. Power efficiency could increase by a factor of one hundred. Latency could be reduced to just one two-hundredth of its present level. Transmission capacity could rise to one hundred and twenty five times today’s networks. These improvements would not just be incremental but transformational.
How APN fits into IOWN
The IOWN Global Forum, a consortium of more than one hundred and fifty organisations worldwide, is responsible for standardising the All-Photonics Network and related technologies. Their work goes beyond APN itself to a wider architecture that also includes Data-Centric Infrastructure and the Cognitive Foundation. Together, these layers are designed to support the next generation of digital experiences.
At the heart of this is photonics-electronics convergence, often referred to as PEC. This technology allows photonic and electronic components to work together seamlessly. Once considered experimental, it has already been demonstrated and is now moving towards real deployment.
The Forum also highlights the importance of openness. The term Open All-Photonics Network is used to underline the need for interoperability and collaboration between vendors, operators and research organisations. This ensures that the technology is not locked into proprietary approaches but can be adopted at scale.
Potential applications
The IOWN Global Forum is studying many possible applications of APN, but the first focus areas are Cyber Physical Systems and AI-integrated communications. Both rely on ultra-low latency and massive capacity to enable real-time responsiveness. In future, such capabilities could support everything from immersive extended reality and industrial automation to remote healthcare and connected vehicles.
Looking ahead
The All-Photonics Network is still at an early stage, but it represents a fundamental shift in the way communication networks are designed. By moving away from fragmented, purpose-built infrastructure to a unified optical foundation, APN could provide the backbone for future 6G networks and beyond.
To dive deeper into this topic, we have created a video that explains the All-Photonics Network and its role within IOWN, including real-world demonstrations and architectural details. The slides and the video are embedded below:
You can download the slides from here.
Related Posts
- Free 6G Training: Fujitsu’s Vision of B5G and 6G
- Free 6G Training: NTT's Road to Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN)
- Telecoms Infrastructure Blog: IOWN - Innovative Optical and Wireless Network
Comments
Post a Comment