About ALLEGRO ‘Agile ultra low energy secure networks’
ALLEGRO aims at designing and validating a novel end-to-end sliceable, reliable, and secure architecture for next-generation optical networks, achieving high transmission/switching capacity
- with 10 Tb/s for optoelectronic devices and 1 Pbt/s for optical fiber systems
- low power consumption/cost
- with > 25% savings
- and secure infrastructures and data transfers.
The architecture relies on key enabling innovations:
- smart, coherent transceivers exploiting multi-band & multi-fiber technologies for P2P and P2MP applications, based on e.g., high-speed plasmonic modulators/photodetectors and programmable silicon photonic integrated waveguide meshes;
- loss-less, energy-efficient transparent photonic integrated optical switches, eliminating OEO conversions, e.g., with on-chip amplification in the O-band for datacom applications;
- a consistent approach to security, in terms of functional/ protocol architectures and communications, further improving QKD systems, enabling optical channel co-existence and researching on quantum-resistant (post-quantum) cryptography, developing systems based on physically unclonable functions; and
- a scalable AI/ML assisted control and orchestration system, responsible for autonomous networking, dynamic and constrained service provisioning, function placement and resource allocation, leveraging devices increasing programmability and overall network softwarization.
To achieve the target objectives and KPIs, ALLEGRO has defined a clear methodology ending in ambitious demonstrators. The consortium includes a good balance of industry and research/academia with know-how in complementary fields.
The results of ALLEGRO will be disseminated in leading conferences, events, and high-impact journals. They will have a concrete and measurable economic and social impact, contributing towards achieving key European objectives, reinforcing European leadership and digital sovereignty in the ongoing digital and green transition.
Project News
Project ALLEGRO: Performance Monitoring and Telemetry in Optical Networks
As part of the ALLEGRO platform, we're pushing the boundaries of network intelligence with advanced Performance Monitoring and Telemetry systems. This component is crucial for collecting, processing, and aggregating data from the physical layer—enabling real-time...
ALLEGRO Project — Unified Telemetry & Monitoring Platform with Integrated Sensing
As part of the ALLEGRO project, we’re excited to introduce a major innovation in optical network management: a telemetry and monitoring platform designed with integrated sensing capabilities and powered by machine learning. This platform enables real-time visibility,...
ALLEGRO Project — Coordinated Multi-Segment Control for Next-Gen Networks
Modern networks demand seamless coordination across diverse infrastructure layers — from access networks to the metro/core. The ALLEGRO project is stepping up to this challenge with a robust multi-segment control architecture, designed to bridge traditionally siloed...
ALLEGRO Project — Advancing Multi-Domain Optical Networking
In modern optical networking, managing complexity across multiple administrative and technological boundaries is critical. The ALLEGRO project takes a forward-looking approach by addressing multi-domain control — where each domain represents a set of network elements...
ALLEGRO Project — Optical Network Control in the Era of SDN and Automation
As part of the ALLEGRO project, we’re redefining how optical networks are managed and automated through a hierarchical SDN control architecture — enabling both partial and full disaggregation. Key features include: ✅ Hierarchical SDN Control:An Optical SDN controller...
Allegro Project Insight: Extending QKD Reach with Post-Quantum Cryptography
In real-world networks, Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) doesn't always reach every endpoint — due to lack of fiber, long distances, or cost constraints for secondary nodes. 💡 In the Allegro Project, we’ve designed a hybrid approach to extend quantum-safe security...
Allegro Project Spotlight: Reducing Trust in QKD Network Nodes
As quantum-secure communication evolves, minimizing trust in intermediate nodes of QKD networks is becoming crucial. In our latest contribution to the Allegro Project, we explored a basic scheme that reduces security assumptions on these trusted nodes. 🔑 How? By...
Allegro Project Update: Boosting Key Rates with Hybrid QKD-AES Security
We're excited to share a key development from our latest work in the Allegro project — Hybridisation of QKD and AES to Improve Consumer Key Rate Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is a groundbreaking technology for secure communication. While current commercial QKD links...
Allegro Project — Scenario A: LPSec DEM and QKD Integration
Proud to share another milestone in the Allegro project as we refine the workflows for secure, dynamic optical networking. Today’s focus: Scenario A — LPSec DEM with Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). In this scenario, our SDN controller plays a central role by gathering...
Allegro Project Update: Workflows in Focus
Excited to share a quick look into one of the core elements of the Allegro project — Workflows Implementation. As part of our effort to deliver secure, high-performance optical networks, we’ve detailed workflows for multiple identified scenarios. These workflows are...