According to the Infonetics Optical Network Hardware report, with more and more service providers around the world pushing WDM and Ethernet instead of SONET/SDH in their access networks, the technology’s days are numbered. Starting in 2007, spending on SONET/SDH equipment will slowly begin to decrease every year, while WDM spending increases every year, at least through 2010, the report forecasts.

Highlights

• Worldwide optical revenue is forecast to reach $12.2 billion in 2010
• Alcatel-Lucent held 1st place in 2006 worldwide optical network hardware revenue market share, followed by Huawei then Nortel
• Siemens leads the worldwide long haul WDM ROADM switch revenue market share; Cisco leads in metro ROADM
• North America makes up 35% of the worldwide optical network hardware market, EMEA 33%, Asia Pacific 27%, and CALA 6%