Modern optical fiber networks allow long haul data transmissions using variety of data formats, from a legacy to high speed or high spectral efficient ones. Nowadays they can also be additionally utilized for transfer of new demanding type of services – photonic services, providing very high optical signal fidelity including the preservation of precise timing. Such services include for example distributed sensing, software defined networking or precise time or stable frequency transmission. This new use of photonics networks, with no interference with the commodity traffic, is a rapidly growing area of research and development. Within the framework of the 2017 40th International Conference on Telecommunications and Signal Processing (TSP) held during July 5-7, 2017, Barcelona, Spain, we invite you to present and discuss advances in the research and development of photonic systems or services.