Optical Network Forecast: 2022–27 (Fall Update)

Ian Redpath

Research Director, Transport Networks and Components

Ian is the Research Director for Omdia’s, optical transport, components, routing, and networked edge services. He is responsible for strategy, client, product, and team development. Managing a team of communications technology professionals, he covers how communications and cloud service providers and enterprises utilize and deploy leading-edge optical networks, components, routing, and edge technologies.

Ian and the team have been advising clients on how to evolve and grow networks based on a rapidly evolving 5G, cloud, and edge world. Ian’s past advisory efforts have included work on the evolution of open optics and transport SDN, right of way value for new entrants, and cloud-communications SP partnering. He has also supported open industry fora, built hot topic conference tracks, and supported industry player mergers and acquisitions. Ian is the 2019 winner of the NGON & DCI World People’s Choice Award and is a regular speaker at industry events. He received his MBA from Queen's University at Kingston in Canada and a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Manitoba.

Timothy Munks

Senior Principal Analyst

Tim focuses on high speed optics, coherent modems, and optical line systems used in data center interconnect, metro, long haul, and subsea DWDM optical networks. He provides insights and analysis of key trends, equipment forecasts, and market share by leveraging excellent relationships with CSPs, data center operators, network equipment manufacturers, and merchant suppliers.

Tim joined IHS Markit (now Omdia) in 2018 as a principal analyst covering 100G+ high speed coherent modems and optical network technology after 30 years in the industry. Before this, Tim worked six years with Acacia Communications as a sales director and a product line manager for silicon photonics. Prior to that, he worked five years for Santur/NeoPhotonics and worked 12 years with JDSU (now Lumentum). He has developed a deployed bandwidth model for use with multi-rate coherent modems and enjoys hosting webinars. Tim studied physics and electrical engineering and holds a Master of Science in electrical engineering with emphasis in electromagnetics and optics.

Esther Cheh

Senior Analyst, Access Networks

Esther is Omdia’s Senior Analyst for transport networks, including router, switching, and optical technologies. She has more than 12 years of experience in the telecommunication industry, covering network operations, market and industry analysis, and business strategy in service provider and network equipment vendor environment.

Esther joined Omdia in December 2016. Prior to joining Omdia, she worked as a business consultant, providing strategic consulting on fixed network services to the service providers in the Asia Pacific performing market, opportunity sizing to support corporate decision-making, and recommendations on the go-to-market strategy for new product and new market segments.

Esther holds a Bachelor of Engineering in telecommunication engineering from Multimedia University, Malaysia, and an MBA from the Melbourne Business School, Australia.

Aiman Syakir

Research Associate

Aiman joined the Penang Research Operation (PRO) team in 2020, supporting projects in the service provider and consumer sectors. He is gaining expertise in IoT, big data, data automation, and the Chinese economy. 

He was previously a member of the data and automation team and worked in market research for the Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council (MREPC), overseeing commodity and international trade, competitor analysis, and regulatory compliance. Aiman holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration (specializing in finance) and just completed his master’s degree in economic development.