A framework for the availability assessment of SDH transport networks

Fibre optic transport systems are being installed at a rapid pace in national networks to meet the large demands for capacity. However, the consequences of service disruption are becoming more severe essentially due to the advent of these high capacity fibre optic systems. In an increasingly competitive world, network reliability is becoming the key characteristic which differentiates between competitive network solutions. A challenging task for service providers is to ensure service continuity at affordable costs. We present a novel framework to assess the network availability and we examine its applicability in a model network.