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This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project addresses the next generation data networks which will require terabit information handling capability. Future networks must be reconfigurable, highly secure and easily upgraded in both bit rate and number of nodes. The company will apply its extensive fiber optic expertise and its proprietary wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) technology to the development of a reconfigurable high-speed fiber-optic backbone structure that supports the transmission of multiple data protocols between multiple network stations. The approach is based on the company's all-fiber, static and dynamic WDM network access designs which offer high efficiency, compactness and low cost. In Phase I a three-node, two-wavelength system was constructed with static access modules to demonstrate the feasibility of simultaneously transmitting different protocols such as ATM and Ethernet. Phase I formed a basis for Phase II engineering development where the reseacher will employ dynamic access modules and expand the network to 8 nodes and 4 wavelengths to demonstrate network reconfigurability and scalability. The market for fiber-optic networks is growing at a rate of over 20% per year and is expected to exceed $18 billion in 2001. Multi-protocol fiber backbones have applications in commercial platforms, such as enterprise networks, ships, airliners, automobiles, and integrated manufacturing equipment. Each optical fiber can replace hundreds of wires resulting in substantial drop in costs, component weight, and an increase in performance. The project will integrate well with the Internet-II, and SuperNet programs for the government-wide Next Generation Internet (NGI).