Operations | Monitoring | ITSM | DevOps | Cloud

AI is driving the next wave of digital transformation, but it is also creating an unexpected challenge for network operators: optical capacity is becoming a strategic bottleneck. The same AI boom fueling billions of dollars in data center investment is placing unprecedented demand on optical networking infrastructure.

The relentless growth of data traffic, driven by cloud services, high-speed residential broadband, 5G mobility, and enterprise digitalization, places enormous pressure on network infrastructure. Service providers and large enterprises must scale capacity while simultaneously controlling costs and reducing operational complexity. In this environment, traditional network architectures are reaching their breaking point, creating an urgent need for a more efficient and integrated approach to transport.

Coherent routing, Routed Optical Networking, Converged Optical Routing Architecture (CORA), are all names for the same concept: an advanced network architecture which integrates coherent optical transceivers directly into IP routers. This convergence of layers creates a simplified and highly efficient IP-over-DWDM (IP over Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing) network.

Mission-critical networks are changing fast. Utilities, transport operators, and critical infrastructure providers are under pressure to deliver more data, more automation, and more resilience—without ever compromising reliability. The challenge is simple: legacy SDH/SONET networks were built for a different era. They still deliver reliability. But they can’t support what comes next.

IPoDWDM is an architecture that integrates IP routing and Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing into a single, converged platform. This integration is achieved by placing coherent optics directly into the ports of IP routers and switches, a fundamental shift from traditional network designs. Consequently, this approach eliminates the need for a separate, dedicated layer of optical transponders and their associated shelving.

IP over Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (IPoDWDM) is a network architecture that integrates optical transmission capabilities directly into IP networking equipment such as routers and switches. This approach represents a significant evolution from traditional network designs, where IP and optical layers were managed as separate domains with distinct hardware and operational teams.

Power networks (DSOs, TSOs and generation) are under pressure from every direction. They need to improve reliability and sustainability, deliver real-time customer insight, and meet increasingly stringent regulations. In response, power generation has evolved from a simple centralized model, through to a decentralized model with generation from a mix of diverse sources such as centralized generation from carbon-based, nuclear and renewable generation plants, through DERs even located at people premises.

Last year, I wrote about how AI-driven search trends reshaped my digital marketing strategy in ways I hadn’t seen in two decades. At the time, the story was mostly observational: traffic patterns were changing, conversions were holding, and AI-generated search answers were clearly influencing buyer behavior. Fast-forward to the first quarter of 2026, and one thing is clear — this shift didn’t slow down; it accelerated.

Pandemic-era shortages are still fresh in many minds. As consumers, we remember empty shelves and long lines driven by panic buying and stockpiling. In telecom, the story played out differently but with the same root cause: factory shutdowns interrupted chip fabrication just as demand for networking and optical equipment surged.

Operators today are navigating unprecedented complexity—rising costs, accelerating customer expectations, and increasingly dynamic networks. In this recent video interview, my colleague Kevin Wade and I explore why AI‑driven automation has shifted from a “nice‑to‑have” technology to a core business requirement for telecom operators and beyond.