Journal profile · Telecommunications
Photonic Network Communications
ISSN 1387-974X · eISSN 1572-8188 · Springer US · UNITED STATES · Bimonthly · Founded 1999
Photonic Network Communications: CAS Zone 4 · Computer Science (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.53; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,990; median 515 days to acceptance (24 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 11 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Photonic Network Communications is published by Springer US and is in Zone 4 of Computer Science in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Advanced Optical Network Technologies, Optical Network Technologies and Advanced Photonic Communication Systems, together about 70.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Computer Networks and Communications. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The primary goal of Photonic Network Communications is to publish high-quality, peer-reviewed papers focussing on research activities, major achievements, and trends involving optical communication networks.Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: Ø NETWORK AND SYSTEM TECHNOLOGIES- Transport, access, and customer premises networks- Local, regional, and global networks- 100G/400G Networks- Elastic Optical Networks- Optical Wireless Networks- Visible light communications- Free space optics- Transoceanic and undersea networks- Optical transparent networks- WDM and OTDM networks- Subcarrier and code-division-multiplexed networks- Space division multiplexing (SDM) technologies- Direct-detection and coherent-detection optical systems- Soliton-based networks- Wavelength routed networks- Optical packet-switched networks- Passive optical networks (PON) including FTTx networks- Digital and optical signal processing- Optical Devices for Switching and Interconnects- Energy- and Power-Efficient Component and System Design- Photonic networks in space Ø NETWORK AND SYSTEM ARCHITECTURES- Network architectures and topologies- Cloud and Data-Center Networking based on Optical Networks- Architecture and design of network nodes- High-performance optical LANs- Optical crossconnects and add/drop multiplexers- Design and architecture of interconnection networks- Waveguide and free-space interconnection networks- Network-on-Chip (NoC) based on Optical Networks- Optical interfaces and optical terminals- Storage Area Networks based on Optical Communications and Networking- Security and Privacy in Optical Communications and Networking- Silicon Photonics and Integrated Photonics- Universal photonic infrastructures Ø NETWORK CONTROL- Software Defined Networks- Network Virtualization- Network Function Virtualization- Network access protocols- Optical quality-of-service admission control- Signaling and connection set-up protocols- Routing and wavelength assignment algorithms, including impairment-aware- Network reconfiguration and restoration techniques- Photonic-based end-to-end communication protocols- Network and traffic control Ø NETWORK DESIGN, PLANNING, AND OPERATION- System and network performance modeling - Scalability, cascadability, upgradeability- Network operation, maintenance, and management- Measurement, monitoring, and supervision techniques- Network planning and design- Field trials and experiments- Standardization Ø INTERWORKING WITH OTHER NETWORKS- Cascaded
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Telecommunications
Editor-in-chief Byrav RamamurthyPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 3 in mainland China (about 10%); most named United States 11, India 9, Mainland China 3, Italy 2, Germany 1 (29 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Advanced Optical Network TechnologiesEngineering25.4%
- Optical Network TechnologiesEngineering24.2%
- Advanced Photonic Communication SystemsEngineering20.6%
- Software-Defined Networks and 5GComputer Science5.9%
- Photonic and Optical DevicesEngineering3.5%
- Interconnection Networks and SystemsComputer Science3.1%
- Optical Wireless Communication TechnologiesEngineering3%
- Network Traffic and Congestion ControlComputer Science2.4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Computer Science Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Computer Science | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Computer Science, Information Systems | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Optics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Telecommunications | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Computer Science Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Computer Science | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Computer Science, Information Systems | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Optics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Telecommunications | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Computer Science Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Computer Science | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Computer Science, Information Systems | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Optics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Telecommunications | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
EI CompendexINSPECDBLPCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, ACM Digital Library, Astrophysics Data System, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 1.53LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.5Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.5Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.7LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.38LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.85LetPub ·
- h-index
- 32LetPub ·
- h-index
- 48OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 403OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.85OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 6.38%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 11LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 33,700Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,337 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 9 | 2 | 2 |
| 2025 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| 2024 | 20 | 2 | 61 |
| 2023 | 17 | 4 | 109 |
| 2022 | 34 | 4 | 242 |
| 2021 | 35 | 1 | 325 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
515 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 340 days – 665 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 23 days (24 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 533 days
- Sample
- 24 articles with submission and acceptance dates (24 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- 6–12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 61 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 2,990 / EUR 2,390 / GBP 2,090 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Photonic Network Communications, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Springer US
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1999
- ISSN
- 1387-974X
- Electronic ISSN
- 1572-8188
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Photonic Network Communications
What CAS zone is Photonic Network Communications in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Photonic Network Communications is in Zone 4 of Computer Science, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Computer Science, Information Systems / Optics / Telecommunications. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Computer Science. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Photonic Network Communications?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.53; CiteScore 4.7, h-index 48.
How long does peer review take at Photonic Network Communications?
Based on the dates recorded on 24 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 515 days (interquartile range 340–665 days); authors report an average review time of 6–12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Photonic Network Communications?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Suggested reviewers: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Photonic Network Communications based?
Of the 29 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 3 (about 10%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (11), India (9) and Mainland China (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Photonic Network Communications?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Photonic Network Communications is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists EI Compendex, INSPEC, DBLP and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Photonic Network Communications open access, and what is the APC?
Photonic Network Communications is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,990.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .