Optical telecommunications network for more effective data transmission of different optical wavelengths in wavelength-division multiplex operation, the optical telecommunications network having a first superordinate network node, a second superordinate network node (R2') and further a plurality of network elements (R1-1, R1-2), the plurality of network elements (R1-1, R1-2) having at least one first network element (R1-1) and one second network element (R1-2), the telecommunications network having an optical transmission route, the optical transmission route directly or indirectly interconnecting - the first superordinate network node and the first network element (R1-1), as well as - the first network element (R1-1) and the second network element (R1-2), and also - the second network element (R1-2) and the second superordinate network node (R2'), the optical transmission route further also interconnecting the first superordinate network node and the second superordinate network node (R2') in such a way that the optical transmission route is topologically closed in the form of a ring, the optical transmission route which is closed in the form of a ring at least indirectly connecting the first network element (R1-1) to the first superordinate network node either via a first signal path or via a second signal path, and the optical transmission route which is closed in the form of a ring at least indirectly connecting the first network element (R1-1) to the second superordinate network node (R2') either via a further first signal path or via a further second signal path, the first signal path and the further first signal path overlapping at least in a first sub-region of the optical transmission route, the second signal path and the further second signal path overlapping in a second sub-region of the optical transmission route, both the first and second signal paths (151, 152) and the further first and further second signal paths (151', 152') being disjoint from one another and complementing one another to form the optical transmission route, the optical telecommunications network being configured in such a way that - data transport on the first signal path of the optical transmission route is used for data transmission between the first network element (R1-1) and the first superordinate network node, and - data transport on the further first signal path of the optical transmission route is used for data transmission between the first network element (R1-1) and the second superordinate network node (R2') (dual homing) in a normal operating mode. - the first superordinate network node and the first network element (R1-1), as well as - the first network element (R1-1) and the second network element (R1-2), and also - the second network element (R1-2) and the second superordinate network node (R2'), - data transport on the first signal path of the optical transmission route is used for data transmission between the first network element (R1-1) and the first superordinate network node, and - data transport on the further first signal path of the optical transmission route is used for data transmission between the first network element (R1-1) and the second superordinate network node (R2') (dual homing) in a normal operating mode.