SEASON presents results from large-scale experimental demonstrations, showcasing integrated optical–metro–radio orchestration for high-demand XR services, dynamic resource scaling, and energy-efficient operation in real city deployments. Download SEASON Newsletter #8 (PDF)
SEASON presents results from final experimental demonstrations, showcasing self-healing multi-band IPoWDM networks, integrated control and data planes, and automated recovery for high-capacity and sustainable optical infrastructures. Download SEASON Newsletter #7 (PDF)
SEASON presents the final control plane infrastructure, featuring hierarchical multi-domain orchestration, real-time telemetry, digital twins, and AI-driven automation enabling fully self-managed optical networks. Download SEASON Newsletter #6 (PDF)
SEASON demonstrates how point-to-multipoint (P2MP) optical aggregation can significantly reduce network complexity and cost in metro and access networks. By replacing traditional point-to-point connections with P2MP transceivers and filterless aggregation nodes, the number of required transceivers and ROADMs is drastically reduced while preserving flexibility in bandwidth allocation. These results highlight the potential of P2MP-based architectures to simplify network design and enable more efficient, scalable, and cost-effective future optical networks.
SEASON Newsletter #1 presents techno-economic results on open and disaggregated access—metro optical network architectures. Download SEASON Newsletter #1 (PDF)
The study compares different matrix-switch-based MBoSDM node designs that dynamically exploit spectral and spatial dimensions to support extreme bandwidth demands. By evaluating architectures with and without spatial cross-connects, SEASON highlights trade-offs between flexibility, scalability, cost, and resilience, providing guidance for designing efficient and robust next-generation optical transport nodes.
The SEASON project investigates a ROADM-free IPoWDM network architecture for metro-aggregation networks, leveraging recent advances in high-capacity coherent pluggable transceivers. By directly interconnecting packet-optical nodes without intermediate ROADMs, this approach simplifies network design and control while reducing architectural complexity. Preliminary techno-economic analysis shows that ROADM-free solutions can be cost-effective when traffic demands are significantly lower than transceiver capacity, a scenario expected to become increasingly common as line rates continue to
The SEASON project has demonstrated a new approach to optical network design that can significantly reduce energy consumption and operational costs while maintaining high performance. Instead of relying on traditional electrical traffic aggregation, SEASON introduces all-optical aggregation enabled by coherent point-to-multipoint (P2MP) transceivers. Using digital subcarrier-based multiplexing, a single high-capacity optical channel can serve multiple low-rate users directly, eliminating unnecessary optical-electrical-optical conversions. This innovation simplifies network architectures, reduces equipment requirements,
SEASON presents system-level results of the integrated SEASON solution, demonstrating multi-band and SDM technologies that enable up to 120× network capacity scaling and petabit-scale optical switching. Download SEASON Newsletter #5 (PDF)
Deliverable D5.1 establishes a foundation for self-managed, sustainable, high-capacity optical networks. The deliverable documents the integration of advanced data plane and control plane components, ensuring interoperability and improved end-to-end network performance across the SEASON ecosystem. At the core of SEASON 1.0 is Multi-Band over Space Division Multiplexing (MBoSDM) technology, which significantly enhances network capacity and flexibility. The report details the integration of key data plane elements—including optical cross-connects, wavelength selective
SEASON presents validated data plane prototypes enabling multi-band and SDM transmission, energy-efficient access and metro architectures, and advanced sensing and monitoring capabilities for next-generation optical networks. Download SEASON Newsletter #3 (PDF)
This deliverable reports an updated design and implementation of the SEASON control plane, presenting the latest results of WP4 across monitoring and telemetry, single- and multi-domain control, and AI/ML-based self-management. Its primary goal is to identify and characterize the key functional components of the SEASON control plane, clearly defining their roles, responsibilities, and interfaces enabling interworking across systems, with a focus on integration for WP5 demonstrations. The report first consolidates
This deliverable reports the activities of WP3 during the second year of the SEASON project. The work is structured in two main parts. The first six chapters are dedicated to the data plane architecture, technology mapping, key performance indicators (KPIs) alignment and the development of optical subsystems, focusing on areas such as network design, transmission modelling, optimization, optical monitoring, and power-efficient solutions. The latter section describes the innovations/prototypes/components implemented within
https://optimumresearchmeetings.com/gcoptics2024/
SEASON presents results demonstrating 18%–38% energy consumption reduction in access-metro optical networks through dynamic spatial aggregation, P2MP communication, and AI-driven control. Download SEASON Newsletter #2 (PDF)
Abstract Optical fiber transport is the key technology to enable the delivery of fast and affordable bandwidth for all services, such as 5G/mobile, business and residential broadband, cloud computing, and video transport. Coherent optics, a game-changer optical fiber transport technology, has completely transformed optical transmission systems and enabled a widespread upgrade and new deployment of DWDM networks to speeds of 100 Gb/s, 200 Gb/s, and 400 Gb/s per wavelength. Over
Abstract:The research and innovation related to fifth-generation (5G) networks that has been carried out in recent years has decided on the fundamentals of the smart slice in radio access networks (RANs), as well as the autonomous fixed network operation. One of the most challenging objectives of beyond 5G (B5G) and sixth-generation (6G) networks is the deployment of mechanisms that enable smart end-to-end (e2e) network operation, which is required for the
SEASON presents control-plane results based on OCATA digital twins, real-time telemetry, and AI-driven self-management to improve reliability and enable proactive, intent-based optical network control. Download SEASON Newsletter #4 (PDF)
This deliverable presents the first design and implementation of the SEASON control plane, reporting the initial outcomes of all WP4 activities. It covers monitoring and telemetry, single- and multi-domain control, and AI/ML-based self-management for end-to-end transport networks. The report first outlines WP4 objectives, KPIs, and the overall SEASON control-plane architecture, describing the key network components and control technologies across the full transport network, from RAN to core. A major contribution
Deliverable D3.1 reports the work carried out within the first 13 months of the project SEASON. It starts by mentioning the network topologies and architectures as they have been defined in the WP2. In particular, it reports the segments of access, metro aggregation, and metro. Here, thanks to the contribution of the network operators, we discussed in detail the state of the art, the current limitations, and the envisioned SEASON
Abstract: To reduce the energy consumption of the optical access network supporting the x-haul, this paper proposes a Software Defined Network (SDN) approach that coordinates the 5G TDD pattern and the downstream x-haul transmission for turning ON and OFF selected power-hungry Optical Network Unit (ONU) elements. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/10297278/figures#figures
Abstract Point-to-multipoint coherent transceivers can enable high-capacity and cost-effective bidirectional transmission for x-Haul networks. This contribution reviews the technology, requirements and potential to support next-generation mobile transport networks. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/10207480
“Open RAN Mobile Access: The View of an Operator on an End-To-End Implementation” by Carlo Cavazzoni, Marco Caretti, Alessandro Percelsi, Mauro Agus
The European Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) is a Public-Private Partnership that aims to facilitate and develop industrial leadership in Europe in 5G and 6G networks and services. The Smart Network and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) launched the first phase of its 6G projects, including SEASON, which are critical in establishing a solid research and innovation (R&I) foundation for Europe, defining the next generation networks. A
Title: Super-channel spectrum saving optimization procedure in elastic optical networks Abstract: Optical networks have historically been overprovisioned for physical-layer conditions and capacity and, as such, operate uninterrupted over several years. By reducing system margins, network efficiency and cost savings could be improved without compromising network reliability. On the other hand, super-channel transmission has been identified as a suitable solution for supporting high-data-rate connectivity. NETCONF, along with YANG models, has been
This week, the SEAON Project Coordinator Filippo Cugini and the SEASON Technical Manager Ramon Casellas attended the ETSI Research Conference focusing on “Maximizing the Impact of European 6G Research through Standardization” In the presentation, Ramon first highlighted the SEASON Key Objective of designing and validatating an innovative B5G optical transport network infrastructure ranging from access to metro/long-haul and leveraging on: Multi-Band over Space Division Multiplexing (SDM) Integration of optical networks