The main objective of the Action was to develop methods to ascertain and improve the reliability of the new types of optical components and devices in communications networks and transmissions systems including aspects regarding network and component costs, environmental conditions and installation procedures for equipment in core transport networks, in subscriber access networks, and in in-house (local area) networks. Therefore, most of the effort at first was to improve the understanding of the failure mechanisms of new types of optical components and devices in new high capacity/bandwidth/speed systems and networks. Simultaneously, information on their field behaviour was gathered to study the effect of the service environment on the components, devices, networks and systems. Following this, efforts were concentrated on improving life test methods. Finally, lifetime estimation methods were analysed and developed. A further objective was to co-ordinate the research that is performed in component and in system manufactures and in research institutes and in universities, in order to foster the appropriate transfer of results and experience to the standardization bodies, such as ETSI, CECC, IEC, and ITU, in the form of input and help for standardization. The main results and achievements of COST 270 were as follows. * Constitution of a European network of industrial and academic partners focussed on issues of reliability of the key components of optical systems and networks * Scientific and technical contributions establishing the state-of-the-art in the identification of new mechanisms of degradation of the components (optical power, technique of manufacture), of method of measurement and characterization qualifying the reliability of the connectors, and on modelling of the survivability of the optical networks. Notably, the Action triggered the first contributions to the study of the incidence of the atmospheric conditions on the transmission optics in free propagation. * Establishment of many connections allowing the dissemination of the results within organizations of standardization, such as CENELEC, ETSI, IEC, ITU-T. * An excellent dissemination of the results through a large number of publications and the organization of several workshops and conferences. The activities of research undertaken in this Action contributed to develop a better knowledge of the phenomena of degradation of the optical components and their incidence on the reliability of the optical networks. The close connections maintained with Industry involved in the activities taking part in the various workshops made possible to take into account the results and the recommendations suggested in the methods of realization or measurements of the components.
