The communication will be dominated by data, we can expect the network of the future to consist of multiterabit packet switches to aggregate traffic at the edges of the network and cross connects with wavelength granularity and tens of terabits through out the core and this application continuous to drive optical technology.
Limitations of SONET:
Waste of bandwidth meshing.
Fixed circuits.
Wasted protection bandwidth.
Multicast traffic.
Applications of multiterabit networks
It use networking technologies.
Multiterabit optical fiber network for a LOFAR telescope.
Multiterabit transmission over Alcatel teralight fiber.