Bridging the 6G Gap: Scaling Sustainable ROADM-Based IP-over-WDM via DSCM-Enabled Point-to-Multipoint Designs

2026-05-07

AI Summary

This work addresses the high cost and energy consumption bottlenecks of conventional IP-over-WDM architectures in the context of 6G-era networking demands by proposing a novel point-to-multipoint IP-over-WDM architecture based on distributed subcarrier multiplexing (DSCM). For the first time, DSCM is integrated into reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) systems to enable highly efficient optical-layer networking. By overcoming the limitations of traditional point-to-point connectivity, the proposed scheme significantly enhances both energy efficiency and economic viability for access and metropolitan networks. Experimental results demonstrate that, over a ten-year deployment horizon, the approach reduces capital expenditure (CAPEX) by up to 92.0% and power consumption by 99.2% compared to conventional solutions, while exhibiting exceptional scalability and deployment advantages across diverse geographical scenarios.

Abstract

This study compares transponder-based, Point-to-Point, and DSCM-based Point-to-Multipoint (PtMP) access-metro architectures. Findings demonstrate that PtMP IPoWDM significantly optimizes efficiency across diverse geotypes, slashing CAPEX by 92.0% and power by 99.2% compared to the traditional benchmark over a ten-year horizon.

Problem

• 6G
• IP-over-WDM
• sustainability
• CAPEX
• power efficiency

Innovation

• DSCM
• Point-to-Multipoint
• IP-over-WDM
• ROADM
• 6G