Metro DWDM gets heavy endorsement.

Nortel packages end-to-end solution in time for the new year.

Dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) is not just for long-haul networks anymore. Nor is it going to be used in metropolitan area networks simply to ward off fiber exhaust. Thats the message Nortel Networks (Brampton, Ont.) communicated to the optical networking world with its purchase of Cambrian Systems Corp. (Kanata, Ont.) last month.

The $300 million deal put a shine on the notion that local exchange carriers (LECs) and large enterprise users soon may be using DWDM for data networking applications.

Nortels primary purpose in acquiring Cambrian is to add a ring-based metro DWDM product to its portfolio and quickly bring to market an …