Fiberless optical networking technology is a combination of the wireless and free space optical communication technologies. Fortunately, the wireless technology (not affected in the fog and smog) and the fiberless optical technology (not affected in rain) complement each other. It can supplement existing networks in hard-to-wire or hard-to-fiber territories. The wireless technology by itself is capable of medium-high data rates, has a small link span, and is governed by a regime of licenses. On the other hand, the fiber-optic technology has high reliability and full availability.

However, laying optical fiber in the ground requires huge expenses and considerable time and effort in obtaining permissions from various agencies. The fiber cannot be redeployed easily. Capital expenditure is tied directly to the customer. If the customer is lost, so is the CAPEX. Furthermore, trenching may run into physical obstructions. The fiberless optical network technology promises fiber-like speed, does not require permissions, and can be deployed and reconfigured in a short time. In this session, we will cover fundamentals and updates on the technology, deployment, and experiences thereof.

Jai Agrawal Professor, ECET Purdue University Calumet

Professor Agrawal recently worked for two years in optical networking industry in the Silicon Valley in California. He was the founder advisor to Agni Networks in San Jose. His expertise includes optical networking at the physical and data-link layers, optical and WDM interfaces, SONET and gigabit Ethernet, and analog electronic systems. Professor Agrawal's career is equally divided in academia and industry. He has authored several research papers in IEEE journals and conferences. His current research topics include optical networking and nanophotonics.

Omer Farook Professor Purdue University, Calumet

Marco Hartog Senior Vice President, Sales and Customer Support MRV International