NTT Com became the world’s first company to demonstrate generalized multi-protocol label switching (GMPLS) for various routers and optical cross connects over a 40 Gbps network. The demonstration used ShowNet (http://www.interop.jp/2006/), the Internet network used at the Interlop Tokyo 2006 exhibition in June.

GMPLS is an emerging technology that extends the benefit of MPLS by providing signaling and routing capabilities for devices in both the optical and Internet protocol (IP) network domains. Its autonomous-network control functions significantly simplify the process of designing how networks are established and how settings are changed on each node.