光学网络听起来就象是仅仅为了使客户和投资者以为又是一样新东西而对光纤光学通讯进行重新包装的又一个时髦用语。然而，光学网络确实标志着光纤通讯体系上的一种根本改变。早期的光纤系统只是一些传输管线，将信号从一点传送到另一点。光学网络则以光学方式组织和处理信号， Optical networks sound like another fashionable term for repacking optical fiber communications just for the benefit of customers and investors alike. However, the optical network really marks a fundamental change in the optical communications system. Early fiber optic systems were just a few transmission lines that carried the signal from one point to another. Optical networks organize and process signals optically,