Method for managing the transition from a ring failure to a span failure in telecommunications networks with a ring topology

A network element capable of managing the transition between a ring event and a span event in a telecommunications network with a ring topology protected by a traffic protection mechanism in which signals arranged as bytes frames are transmitted, said ring network comprising:

• nodes or network elements;
• and
• spans of optical fibers, said optical fiber spans connecting the network elements to form a ring and comprising working channels and protection channels,
• the network element comprising means for generating and sending suitable ring failure signalings and wherein it further comprises:
• means for verifying that the protection channels have been restored;
• means for maintaining the protection corresponding to a ring event for a predetermined time in the case where the verification is positive;
• and
• means for managing the event as a span event once such predetermined time has elapsed.