TIM was a partner in SEASON, a European research and innovation project that from 2023 to 2025 involved operators, research centers, and technology partners active in the field of advanced optical communications.
The project's goal was to rethink telecommunications network architecture, making it more energy-efficient, resilient, and ready to support next-generation digital services beyond 5G and toward 6G in the future.
The SEASON project, funded by the European Horizon Europe program – Smart Networks and Services, focused particularly on new ways to use existing fiber optic infrastructure. Thanks to advanced transmission techniques such as multiband and space division multiplexing, it was possible to significantly increase data transport capacity without new cabling, thereby reducing costs and energy impact.
The new network architectures developed also enable dynamic adaptation of capacity to actual traffic needs, supporting digital services on next-generation fixed and mobile networks.
TIM contributed to defining network requirements and validating technological solutions, providing industrial expertise and field experience.
Some of the project's most significant results, selected by the international scientific community, will be presented at the Optical Fiber Communication Conference (OFC) 2026 in Los Angeles (March 15-19, 2026), the world's leading event dedicated to optical networks.
In particular, the three selected technology demonstrations concern:
- a convergent network architecture that integrates fiber access, 5G/6G mobile, and metropolitan networks to support immersive augmented and virtual reality services;
- dynamic control of optical access networks using software technologies for more flexible and intelligent data traffic management;
- an IP network directly over fiber optics capable of automatic restoration in case of failures, increasing reliability and capacity for future 6G networks
To know more about the SEASON project: www.season-project.eu