Optical networking is the most promising solution for high-bandwidth wide area and core networks. It also has promising potential for access networks. Interested students, researchers, and engineers might appreciate this tutorial book on the topic.

The book has 11 chapters, an appendix, a bibliography, a list of acronyms, Kartalopoulos’ biography, and an index. Chapter 1 presents a refresher on some aspects of core networks. Chapter 2 briefly describes standard technologies for backbone networks, such as synchronous optical networking based on SONET/SDH and asynchronous networking, such as asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), Ethernet standards, and transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP). Chapter 3 presents the physical aspects of optical networking: sources of loss, fibers, amplifiers, and wavelength division multiplexing (WDM). The appendix gives some details relating to an example of a program used for photonics simulation. The remainder of this chapter details some networking issues: channel/link protection, routing in WDM networks, access systems based on passive optical network (PON), and free space optical systems. Chapter 4 overviews the next-generation SONET/SDH ideas (mainly aspects related to mesh networks), virtual concatenation, generalized multiprotocol label switching (GMPLS), the generic framing procedure (GFP), and the link capacity adjustment scheme (LCAS). Chapter 5 is devoted to the ITU-T optical transport network (OTN) standards. Two consecutive chapters are focused on physical layer aspects: network synchronization and signal-to-noise ratio analysis. Chapter 8 deals briefly with optical networks management and control issues, such as wavelength assignment, traffic control, and routing. Chapter 9 covers resilience methods for optical networks. Chapter 10, the longest of the book, discusses network security. This is the novel and most valuable part of the book, and is apparently related to Kartalopoulos’ interests. It presents classical cryptography problems, as well as new ideas such as quantum cryptography and biometrics. The last chapter summarizes the consequences of widespread optical networks evolution.

The book contains the terms “next generation” and “intelligent” in its title, as well as “access” in its subtitle. Based on this, the reader might expect large parts of the text to be devoted to new optical technologies, such as wireless optical backbone access networks (WOBAN); some automated solutions, such as automatically switched optical network (ASON) standards; or ideas like free space optics (FSOs). Such a reader will be disappointed. Therefore, I do not recommend this book to specialists who are looking for a sketch of the most novel ideas in the field--with the notable exception of the security aspect. Instead, the book will appeal mostly to students and lecturers interested in well-established knowledge related to optical networks and security solutions.