Open Networking Summit

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Moscone Center

Open Optical Networks for 6G: Do We Take the O-RAN Path or Blaze New Trails?

Open networking methods promise greater flexibility and customization, new third-party application and disaggregated component markets, faster innovation times and potentially greater system functional transparency. A comprehensive architecture for open radio access networks has been developed by the O-RAN Alliance.

Should optical networks, which will play a heightened role in 6G core and access networks, adopt similar or compatible open network architectures?

For both optical and radio networks, deployments are scarce despite widespread displayed interest. An emerging trend to build so-called “reaggregated” networks that are end-to-end optimized and customized to deliver premium services, and extend, and could in fact be built upon, the open architecture and bricks proposed by our community in the past decade.

In this panel, we will strive to debate and understand how open optical networks might shape and work within future 6G networks, and the limitations and challenges with disaggregation and reaggregation.

Organizers