International Journal of Optics and Applications 2015, 5(1): 1-9 DOI: 10.5923/j.optics.20150501.01 Flexibility for Internet Protocol Backbone Network for Airspace Management Agency Using Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) Samuel Ndueso John 1 , Charles Uzoanya Ndujiuba 1,* , Veronica Ekaette Anthony-Michael 2 , Nonso Okerekle 1 1 Covenant University, Department of Electrical and Information Engineering, Ota, Nigeria 2 National Open University of Nigeria, Department of Information Technology, Lagos, Nigeria Abstract With the increasing emphasis on service quality in the network of Airspace Management Agencyin the world, coupled with the extensive growth in internet traffic globally it has become a necessity to enhance the backbone network of Airspace Agency with flexibility of Internet Protocol using the Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM). This is to enhance the backbone network with a resilience of IP-DWDM in case of failure. The IP-DWDM network merges the IP and optical layers making network flexibility possible. The measurement, analysis and evaluations of the backbone network were carried out using simulation method. The throughput, latency and data loss were evaluated and analyzed. The result obtained shows that the Dense Wave Division Multiplexing has relatively high throughput, low latency and less packet drop which resulted in high transmission rate over a long distance and low cost in running the network. The paper therefore, proposes the use of embedded flexibility of the network in achieving an increase in the efficiency and utilization of the bandwidth of the interconnecting core routers of the networks. Keywords IP, DWDM, Airspace, Antenna, Throughput, Packet Size 1. Introduction The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) was established with a mandate to provide air navigation services that ensure safe, efficient, effective and economic flight operations [1]. In order to achieve her mission, the agency has the objectives of continuing to provide safe and functional air navigation services that will meet international standards; increasing air traffic control (ATC) capacity in order to manage the increasing air traffic volume and simultaneously reduce delays; and enhance the service quality. At present the agency makes use of VSAT technology to manage its signal/data communications which is a change from radio. The change from Radio to VSAT was necessary in order to enhance signal and data transmission across the Nation‘s airports, thereby improving service delivery and safety. This was in order to get along with the rising global technological trend. Considering the rate of landing and takeoff of aircrafts from the Nigerian airports, there is need for effective communication with the pilots and proper * Corresponding author: charles.ndujiuba@covenantuniversity.edu.ng (Charles Uzoanya Ndujiuba) Published online at http://journal.sapub.org/optics Copyright © 2015 Scientific & Academic Publishing. All Rights Reserved management of Nigerian airspace by the air traffic controllers (ATC) across the airports in Nigeria. This cannot be achieved with the use of VSAT because of major limitations such as effect of sun transit, attenuation due to rain and direction of antenna among other factors. The Challenges of Sun Transit A sun outage, sun transit or sun fade is an interruption in or distortion of geostationary satellite signals caused by interference from solar radiation. The effect is due to the sun's radiation overwhelming the satellite signal. This is one of the problems that affect data and signal communication across the airports in Nigeria. The sun outage happens twice in a year for several minutes over a period of five or six days and this can result in air crash if the controller cannot communicate effectively with the other sites for better traffic [4]. The Challenges of Rain Fade The most reliable satellite communications technology can sometimes be out-matched by the forces of nature. It's a phenomenon known as rain fade or rain attenuation - a weakening of the satellite signal as it passes through raindrops [4]. Any satellite communications system network operating in Ku-Band (12/14 GHz or higher frequencies) will face the effects of rain fade at some time. These different reactions ultimately have the same effect - they cause any