Technology

Fibre-optics without wires is becoming reality. At OFC 2017, the Dresden Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems (IPMS) will demonstrate a prototype Li-Fi communications module that uses infrared light to transmit data over company networks.

Originally envisaged as light bulbs that could also act as wireless routers, Li-Fi technology can deliver signals over distances of up to 10m and at speeds of one gigabit per second or more.

Why do lab results never live up to simulations when determining the capacity of optical fibre? That’s the question asked by Dr Lidia Galdino from University College London’s department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering. She was surprised to discover that the transceivers used to transmit and receive optical signals have more of an impact on system performance than previously thought.

Test and measurement specialist Viavi Solutions reports that it has sold its ONT-600 400G tester to companies representing a cross-section of the high-speed optical networking ecosystem, demonstrating the momentum in this emerging yet rapidly growing market.

Customers range from chip, module and network equipment manufacturers, to a Tier-1 US telecommunications carrier offering wireless, wireline and converged services.

Researchers from Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) have developed a new kind of silicon-photonics-based optical switch that is insensitive to optical polarisation. Their work will be presented at OFC 2017, to be held 19–23 March in Los Angeles.

Researchers at the University of California San Diego have demonstrated a new type of laser that has the potential to be more compact and energy efficient than the standard vertical-cavity surface emitting lasers used in many computing and optical networking links.

The new laser is based on an unconventional physics phenomenon called ‘bound states in the continuum’ (BIC), which are resonant states. First proposed as part of quantum mechanics theory in 1929, only recently was it realised that BICs are a general wave phenomenon that could also be applied to optics.

Researchers from University College London in the UK have calculated that optical systems should be capable of providing transmission capacities of up to 223Tb/s over transoceanic distances using the installed base of standard singlemode fibre – almost ten times greater capacity than systems commercially available today.

While service providers are still evaluating the latest generation of passive optical network technologies, the Full Service Access Network Group (FSAN) is already considering what comes next for optical fibre based access systems.

At a meeting held recently in Hangzhou, China, on 14–18 November the group received contributions from operators about their requirements and technology options for such systems, and issued an updated roadmap that has recently been agreed by the operator members.

Cable networks could help the European Commission achieve its ‘Gigabit Society’ targets eight years ahead of schedule and at a lower cost than fibre to the home (FTTH). That’s the conclusion of an independent report by the media and telecoms consultancy Communications Chambers, commissioned by media multinational Liberty Global.

AT&T and Colt Technology Services have developed an application programming interface (API) that lets SDN architectures from different network service providers work together, and used it to integrate the on-demand capabilities of their respective networks.

The partners claim that this is the first successful trial to show software-defined network (SDN) interoperability.

Ciena has unveiled the next-generation of its programmable coherent optical chipset, dubbed WaveLogic Ai. The letters stand for autonomous and intelligent, to underline how the powerful combination of new hardware and software features could unlock network automation.