The global market for ROADM WSS Component is projected to reach US$1.1 billion by 2025, driven by the growth in the telecom sector following the rise and proliferation of fiber optics communications. ROADMs are the backbone of Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) optical network which is the foundation of the Internet. ROADMs route wavelengths from one end of the DWDM networks to another. ROADMs perform three main functions i. e. add & drop individual wavelengths; pass-through individual wavelengths; & monitor and equalize the optical power of wavelengths to ensure a flat spectrum and maximized transmission performance. They speed up service provisioning & add new service transporting wavelengths; reduced capital costs by reducing the need for expensive optical-electronic-optical (OEO) conversion; & increased network & service availability. The market is therefore benefiting from the rise of the internet economy. The Internet has revolutionized modern life in numerous ways such as providing instant access to a wealth of information; by connecting geographically dispersed regions and making the world into a global village; by enhancing the speed of communication and ease of information sharing (i. e. social media, photos, videos and music). In addition to being a channel for financial transactions, the Internet has also evolved into a new business platform spawning the evolution of the multi-billion dollar electronic commerce industry.

Increasing numbers of people are using the Internet as the primary source for information access, entertainment, social interaction, and for carrying out myriad of life`s transactions. Defined as the volume of information that can be transmitted through a communication network/channel, bandwidth capacity is growing while costs are rapidly declining. Also, flat rate pricing has eliminated cost barriers and enabled greater usage of internet access and related services. The Internet`s bandwidth on an average has been increasing at an approximate rate of over 45% per annum. This is mirrored in the continuous expansion and new establishment of long-haul networks, and deployment of undersea cables. Mismatch between traffic spikes and network bandwidth capabilities continue to drive capacity upgrades. From adding base stations, cranking up transmitter wattage, using more spectrum to developing new bleeding edge fiber optic technologies like optical vortices, several strategies are adopted by ISPs to cope with the increasing demand on bandwidth. Similar to wireless mobile broadband technology, even fixed broadband has witnessed bandwidth and speed improvements through the launch of fiber optic technology. The migration to fiber networks, development of innovative technologies that boost speeds over fiber (i. e. SDM or WDM (spatial and wavelength-division multiplexing), advancements in next-generation passive optical networks, rise of commercial single-laser-single-fiber network connections, are all playing instrumental roles in the creation of super high-speed internet infrastructure. Continuously increasing speed of the internet that facilitates immediate and faster connectivity and the flexibility to utilize and leverage bandwidth intensive data, is also cited as another key factor driving up penetration of broadband internet.

Given the present-day advanced networks, it is a formidable exercise for network managers to keep track of different wavelengths and monitor their correct operation, as well as seamlessly deploy new wavelengths without incurring high operational cost on account of manual engineering, planning, and provisioning of tasks. In an attempt to minimize their cost per bit, operators are focusing on moving the functionality away from the electrical layer to a lower optical layer in the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) stack and eliminate the cost and complexity involved in installing optical-electrical-optical equipment at endpoints. In order to keep pace with the dynamics of the next-generation networks, operators need the necessary scalability and flexibility to add, access, and change the destination of any wavelength at any time and at any node. Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexers (ROADMs) are such devices that facilitate network carriers in reliably automating the mechanisms of routing individual wavelengths within their networks.