Approaches for the design of cable transport networks to support emerging services are compared. While SONET is established firmly for wide-area network (WAN) transport, a diverse set of requirements drives a correspondingly diverse set of choices for metro (MAN) and secondary/hub networks. We evaluate the performance of next-generation (NG) SONET and contemporary alternatives in meeting these requirements, identifying strengths and weaknesses with both. Requirements or opportunities for new capabilities are identified and used as guidance for a cable friendly third-generation SONET technology.