Resumen
Optoelectronic technology and optical networking will become the key enablers of the future communications infrastructure through the elimination of the severe restrictions of bandwidth and bit-error rate, inherent in traditional electromagnetic signal-based communications. The article presents an overview of optical networks, discusses different ways by which all-optical networks can be integrated into existing and future broadband network architectures and underlines some of the potential impacts of optical networking on future computing applications. It evaluates the essence and applications of graphics and visualization, medical image access and distribution, and broadband services to homes. Perhaps the major challenge for organizations developing next-generation network infrastructures is to strengthen confidence that the network capacity and economics they will require in the future will be available. This is a critical issue as businesses have become increasingly dependent upon optical network driven intranet and Internet operations.

Resumen
The article focuses on some of the important criteria for the gigabit technology to succeed. Advances in telecommunications and networking have been particularly notable in recent times. People have witnessed intense research resulting in fundamental information theory, coding and modulation, signal processing, flow and error control, packet and circuits witching, compression standards, local-area networks (LANs), distributed computing, Internet working, and finally, the World-Wide Web. The Internet, Public Telephone Switched Network (PSTN) and cable TV networks continue to deliver people's data, voice and video information as separate infrastructures. In the 1990s, a fundamental question remains that how can one integrate diverse network types and information types into a single gigabit/sec network. Performance is pushing network evolution that, in turn, is enabling creative new applications for its users. With the rapid introduction of fibre optics into telecommunication networks, a huge amount of potential bandwidth can be utilized.