AbstractCross-phase modulation (XPM) is one of the major limiting effects in wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical transmission systems. This paper mathematically investigates the impact of XPM-induced crosstalk with second (2OD), third (3OD) and combination of sub-planck higher-order dispersion (HOD) parameters for WDM systems at different combinations of effective core areas, optical powers, modulating frequencies and dispersion values. It has been observed that XPM-induced crosstalk increases with increase in optical powers, modulating frequencies and dispersion values, but it reduces for higher effective core areas. The results for 2OD, 3OD and combination of dispersion parameters up to eighth order (8OD) have been reported. For instance, with a transmission length of 50 km for different values of optical power ranging from 0.1 mW to 2 mW, crosstalk due to XPM was observed to vary from (−75 to −44 dB), (−172 to −144 dB) and (−275 to −250 dB) in the presence of 2OD, 3OD and \mathop \sum \limits_{n = 4}^8 n{\rm{OD}} combination, respectively. On the basis of analysis, one can select the appropriate frequency as well as the value of dispersion or type of fibre to achieve minimum crosstalk.