# US 2026/0088901 A1 · Launching new spectrum channels in fragmented optical bands > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2026/0088901 A1 - Document ID: US20260088901A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/893,944 - Filed: 2024-09-23 - Published: 2026-03-26 - Earliest claimed: 2024-09-23 - Assignees: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.; AT&T Communications Services India Private Limited - Applicants: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.; AT&T Communications Services India Private Limited - Inventors: Mritunjay Pandey; Lynn Rivera; Subhash Kapoor - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260088901A1 ## CPC - H04B 10/25: Arrangements specific to fibre transmission - H04J 14/0201: {Add-and-drop multiplexing} - H04Q 11/0062: {Network aspects} - H04Q 2011/0086: {Network resource allocation, dimensioning or optimisation} - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04J: MULTIPLEX COMMUNICATION (transmission in general H04B; peculiar to transmission of digital information H04L5/00; systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal H04N7/08; in exchanges H04Q11/00; stereophonic systems H04S) - H04Q: SELECTING (switches, relays, selectors H01H; wireless communication networks H04W) ## Abstract A method includes identifying a channel parameter and distance for a new spectrum channel to be launched in an optical band in a fiber broadband network, wherein the optical band comprises a plurality of existing spectrum channels, calculating a spectral width for the new spectrum channel, based at least in part on the channel parameter and the distance, determining that a contiguous slice of the optical band is not available to support the spectral width, identifying a set of candidate channels of the plurality of existing spectrum channels, wherein each candidate channel is a standby channel for a main channel and wherein a predicted network traffic delay associated with a movement of each candidate channel is less than a threshold delay, and marking a subset of candidate channels for movement within the optical band, where a cumulative spectral width of the subset is at least equal to the spectral width. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: identifying, by a processing system including at least one processor, a channel parameter and a distance for a new spectrum channel to be launched in an optical band in a fiber broadband network, wherein the optical band comprises a plurality of existing spectrum channels; calculating, by the processing system, a spectral width for the new spectrum channel, based at least in part on the channel parameter and the distance; determining, by the processing system, that a contiguous slice of the optical band is not available to support the spectral width for the new spectrum channel; identifying, by the processing system in response to the determining, a set of candidate channels of the plurality of existing spectrum channels, wherein each candidate channel of the set of candidate channels is a standby channel for a main channel and wherein a predicted network traffic delay associated with a movement of each candidate channel of the set of candidate channels is less than a threshold delay; and marking, by the processing system, a subset of candidate channels of the set of candidate channels for movement within the optical band. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a cumulative spectral width of the subset is at least equal to the spectral width for the new spectrum channel. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the fiber broadband network is a wavelength division multiplexing network employing a reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer flexible grid. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the channel parameter comprises at least one of: a threshold bandwidth of the new spectrum channel, a maximum latency of the new spectrum channel, a maximum packet loss of the new spectrum channel, a maximum jitter of the new spectrum channel, or a threshold data rate of the new spectrum channel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the spectral width is additionally calculated based on at least one of: a dispersion in an optical fiber that supports the optical band, an attenuation in the optical fiber, a non-linear parameter of the optical fiber, a forward error correction format of the optical fiber, or a modulation format of the optical fiber. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the marking comprises flagging each candidate channel that is a member of the subset in a topology database for the fiber broadband network, and wherein the flagging comprises identifying a current location of the each candidate channel in the optical band and a new location in the optical band to which the each candidate channel is to be moved to accommodate the new spectrum channel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the marking comprises issuing commands to endpoints of each candidate channel that is a member of the subset, wherein the commands cause the each candidate channel that is a member of the subset to be moved. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the subset of candidate channels is augmented with at least one main channel within the optical band, and wherein a cumulative spectral width of the subset augmented with the at least one main channel is at least equal to the spectral width for the new spectrum channel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein a predicted network traffic delay associated with a movement of the at least one main channel is less than the threshold delay. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: sending a request that a subset of the existing spectrum channels comprising the subset of the set of candidate channels and the at least one main channel be moved. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the request is sent to an operator of the fiber broadband network. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the request is approved, and the marking further comprises marking the at least one main channel for movement within the optical band. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the request is declined, and the method further comprises: scheduling, by the processing system, a defragmentation of the optical band. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the defragmentation is scheduled for a next maintenance window for the fiber broadband network. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the defragmentation comprises: identifying, by the processing system, a set of sparse channels in the optical band; calculating, by the processing system for each channel in the set of sparse channels, a predicted traffic delay that would result from moving the each channel; and marking, by the processing system, a subset of channels of the set of sparse channels for movement, where each channel in the subset of channels of the set of sparse channels is associated with a predicted traffic delay that is less than a second threshold delay. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein each sparse channel in the set of sparse channels comprises an unused spectral component of the optical band. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein no sparse channels in the set of sparse channels are adjacent to each other in the optical band. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold delay is fifty milliseconds. ### Claim 19 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processing system including at least one processor, cause the processing system to perform operations, the operations comprising: identifying a channel parameter and a distance for a new spectrum channel to be launched in an optical band in a fiber broadband network, wherein the optical band comprises a plurality of existing spectrum channels; calculating a spectral width for the new spectrum channel, based at least in part on the channel parameter and the distance; determining that a contiguous slice of the optical band is not available to support the spectral width for the new spectrum channel; identifying, in response to the determining, a set of candidate channels of the plurality of existing spectrum channels, wherein each candidate channel of the set of candidate channels is a standby channel for a main channel and wherein a predicted network traffic delay associated with a movement of each candidate channel of the set of candidate channels is less than a threshold delay; and marking a subset of candidate channels of the set of candidate channels for movement within the optical band, where a cumulative spectral width of the subset is at least equal to the spectral width for the new spectrum channel. ### Claim 20 A system comprising: a processor; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising: identifying a channel parameter and a distance for a new spectrum channel to be launched in an optical band in a fiber broadband network, wherein the optical band comprises a plurality of existing spectrum channels; calculating a spectral width for the new spectrum channel, based at least in part on the channel parameter and the distance; determining that a contiguous slice of the optical band is not available to support the spectral width for the new spectrum channel; identifying, in response to the determining, a set of candidate channels of the plurality of existing spectrum channels, wherein each candidate channel of the set of candidate channels is a standby channel for a main channel and wherein a predicted network traffic delay associated with a movement of each candidate channel of the set of candidate channels is less than a threshold delay; and marking a subset of candidate channels of the set of candidate channels for movement within the optical band, where a cumulative spectral width of the subset is at least equal to the spectral width for the new spectrum channel.