Strong growth of the optical add/dro¥market
The US Optical Add/Dro¥Multiplexer (OADM) market will grow from about $55 million in 1998 to about $420 million in 2002, according to a January report by research and consulting firm Trans-Formation Inc. (Birmingham, AL). As installation of dense wavelength-division multiplexing equipment increases, OADMs will be needed for bandwidth management, the report asserts, with long-distance carriers expected to take the lead in purchasing OADM equipment. Interest among local carriers is expected to build with the need to distribute the long-distance signals to specific customers.