With the growing use of IP television (IPTV) and VoIP, there is an urgent need for greater, 40–Gbit/sec bandwidth and higher speeds. This, in turn, should boost the market for scalable, enhanced SONET/SDH test equipment.
In World SONET/SDH, Next–generation SONET, OTN, and Jitter/Wander Test Equipment Markets, Frost & Sullivan (www.testandmeasure ment.frost.com) finds that the market earned more than $156.4 million in 2007 and estimates this figure to reach $199.8 million in 2014.
The new 40–Gigabit Ethernet, jitter testing, and integrated testing offerings all offer great opportunities to vendors within this market. However, at present, only SONET/SDH and Optical Transport Network (OTN) can offer 40–Gbit bandwidth, which is in demand for router–to–router connections.
The growth in Ethernet remains another factor that drives bandwidth expansion in SONET/SDH. Whether it is via traditional, next–generation, or OTN methods, Ethernet will likely be delivered over SONET/SDH. The greater bandwidth also poses a technological challenge to the industry, as vendors have to develop scalable equipment to meet the new needs. The adoption of next–generation SONET/SDH should generate considerable demand for scalable test equipment, Frost & Sullivan believes.
"One of the most difficult challenges for test and measurement vendors in the SONET/SDH test equipment market is to provide an integrated solution to conduct the various tests required during the installation and maintenance of a network," says Frost & Sullivan program leader Olga Yashkova. "This integrated test solution needs to offer a high price–to–performance ratio to end users."