PS I keep wondering why people keep reinventing virtual circuits.
A key observation here is that the point of an optical cross connect is to provide a real circuit, not a virtual one. An optical cross connect, functioning along with IP routing and an intelligent traffic management system can be used to dynamically place bandwidth where it is needed, when it is needed. The optical plane provides an active provisioning fabric, allowing the network to be more efficient. And a more efficient network makes for a more profitable ISP. I don't see optical cross connects as an opposition to IP technology. Rather, it provides one of the key means of automating the network that is sorely needed. A much better question to ask is: can IP routing possibly survive its projected growth curve without the enabling technology that a flexible optical fabic provides? Yours in dissent, Tony p.s. Just in case there's any confusion out there, I'm still the world's biggest proponent of IP routing. I just don't assume that we know everything about networking already. I hope that it can be made better.