Advantage

• Reduced network complexity and cost through SADM and SDXC capabilities
• Ability to transport all forms of traffic: voice, data (ATM, IP), and video
• Capability to build optical interconnects between carriers
• Efficient management of bandwidth at the physical layer
• Aggregation of low-speed data transport channels into common high-speed backbone trunk transport
• Standard optical interface and format specification providing vendor interoperability
• Increased reliability and restoration over electrical systems
• Increased bandwidth management through logical path grooming
• Smart OAM&P features with uniformity

Disadvantage

• Strict synchronization schemes required
• Complex and costly SONET equipment contrast to cheaper optical Ethernet and other alternate MAN technologies
• High percentage of SONET protocol overhead
• Fiber laying unutilized in a ring architecture, waiting on a failure