Overview of optical communication systems and networks, identification of their basic structural and operating characteristics. Transmission properties of signals in optical fibers. Optical transmitters, amplifiers, filters and photo-receivers. Optical communication systems architectures and related modulation/demodulation properties. Linear and nonlinear high bit rate photonic transmission schemes. Optical time and wavelength division multiplexing. Design principles of metropolitan and core photonic networks. Multiple access, switching and routing inWDM networks.