該雜志的范圍包括光學網絡科學、技術和工程的最新進展。鼓勵理論貢獻（包括新技術、概念、分析和經濟研究）和實際貢獻（包括光網絡實驗、原型和新應用）。感興趣的子領域包括光網絡的架構和設計、光網絡的生存性和安全性、軟件定義的光網絡、彈性光網絡、數據和控制平面的進步、與網絡管理相關的創新以及光接入網絡。只有當結果表明，使能技術及其應用能夠直接影響簡單點對點網絡之外的光網絡時，才是合適的主題。

The scope of the Journal includes advances in the state-of-the-art of optical networking science, technology, and engineering. Both theoretical contributions (including new techniques, concepts, analyses, and economic studies) and practical contributions (including optical networking experiments, prototypes, and new applications) are encouraged. Subareas of interest include the architecture and design of optical networks, optical network survivability and security, software-defined optical networking, elastic optical networks, data and control plane advances, network management related innovation, and optical access networks. Enabling technologies and their applications are suitable topics only if the results are shown to directly impact optical networking beyond simple point-to-point networks.