Several data-rich apps are coming online: 5G upgrades with millions of users demanding high-definition content and video anywhere and anytime, distribution of 4K video, and gaming. Information is the currency of business and we expect the demand for it will continue to grow over the next five years at a rate similar to what we have seen over the past decade. The proliferation of next-gen ROADMs is accelerating as network operators are beginning to understand the benefits of using wavelengths dynamically, adding amplified spectrum with L-band and using the amplified spectrum as efficiently as possible. Adding L-band capacity to the network needs to be realized in a seamless and hitless fashion.

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