Free Space Optics (FSO) Technology Overview

1. Free Space Optics (FSO)Technology Overview

2. Presentation Overview • Why Free Space Optics? • Challenges • Applications & Network Integration • The Future of FSO

3. Why Free Space Optics (FSO)?The “Last Mile” Bottleneck Problem • Wide Area Networks between major cities are extremely fast • Fiber based • >2.5 Gbps • Local Area Networks in buildings are also fast • >100Mbps • The connections in between are typically a lot slower • 0.3-1.5 Mbps Only about 5% of commercial buildings are lit with fiber

4. Why Free Space Optics?Why Not Just Bury More Fiber? • Cost • Rights of Way • Permits • Trenching • Time With FSO, especially through the window, no permits, no digging, no fees

5. A receiver at the other end of the link collects the light using lenses and/or mirrors 3 Transmitter projects the carefully aimed light pulses into the air 2 Received signal converted back into fiber or copper and connected to the network 4 Network traffic converted into pulses of invisible light representing 1’s and 0’s 1 • Reverse direction data transported the same way. • Full duplex 5 Why Free Space Optics?How FSO Works Anything that can be done in fiber can be done with FSO

6. Why Free Space Optics?Very Narrow and Directional Beams • Beams only a few meters in diameter at a kilometer • Allows VERY close spacing of links without interference • No side lobes • Highly secure • Efficient use of energy • Ranges of 20m to more than 8km possible

7. Why Free Space Optics?Deployment Behind Windows • Rapid installations without trenching and permitting • Direct connection to the end user • Bypasses the building owner • No roof rights • No riser rights

8. Why Free Space Optics?The FSO “Value Proposition” • No interference • Unlicensed • Easy to install • Through the window (or from the rooftop) • No trenching, no permits • Fiber-like data rates • Many deployment options • Fungible equipment

9. ChallengesEnvironmental factors Sunlight Window Attenuation Fog Building Motion Alignment Scintillation Range Obstructions Low Clouds Each of these factors can “attenuate” (reduce) the signal. However, there are ways to mitigate each environmental factor.

10. Ultimately the wonder and frustration of technology is the breakneck speed with which it evolves. The things we buy can feel old before we've barely got them out the box. • It is even worse for manufacturers.

11. Hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) • a telecommunications industry term for a broadband network that combines optical fiber and coaxial cable. It has been commonly employed globally by cable television operators since the early 1990s.

12. WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) • is a wireless communications standard designed to provide 30 to 40 megabit-per-second data rates,[ • a standards-based technology enabling the delivery of last milewireless broadband access as an alternative to cable and DSL" A WiMAX USB modem for mobile internet

13. Triple Play/ Quadruple play • In telecommunications, triple play service is a marketing term for the provisioning of two bandwidth-intensive services, over a single broadband connection: • high-speed Internet access  and television • A so-called quadruple play (or quad play) service integrates mobility as well, often by supporting dual mode mobile that shift from GSM to WiFi when they come in range of a home wired for triple-play service.

14. video conferencing • Video Conferencing is a live connection between people in separate locations for the purpose of communication, usually involves audio, video and text as well. • At its simplest (Point to Point), it provides transmission of static images and text between two locations. • At its most sophisticated, it provides transmission of full-motion video images and high-quality audio between multiple locations (Point to Multi-Point). • It provides a complete simulation of a normal meeting environment, enabling both parties to see, hear and present material, just as if they are in the same room.

15. Code Division Multiple Access

16. Types of Multiplexing • FDMA – Frequency Division Multiple Access • Each phone call is allocated one frequency for the entire duration of the call

17. Types of Multiplexing • TDMA - Time Division Multiple Access • Each phone call is allocated a spot in the frequency for a small amount of time, and "takes turns" being transmitted

18. Types of Multiplexing • CDMA - Code Division Multiple Access • Each phone call is uniquely encoded and transmitted across the entire spectrum, in a manner known as spread spectrum transmission

19. Why Free Space Optics?How Fiber Optic Cable Works Glass Fiber Strands Light Source Detector Detector Light Source NetworkDevice NetworkDevice • Pulses of light communicate the data • “ON” = 1 • “OFF = 0 • Capable of more than 40 Gbps • >7 CDs a second

20. Fundamental ConceptsThe Decibel - dB • A logarithmic ratio between two values • In the optical world of Power in mW, dB=10*Log(power2/power1) • 3 dB = ratio of 2/1 • 6 dB = ratio of 4/1 • 10 dB = ratio of 10/1 • 20 dB = ratio of 100/1 • 50 dB= ratio of 100,000/1 Gain/Loss Multiplier 1000 100 10 1 .1 .01 .001 +30 db +20 db +10 db 0 db -10 db -20 db -30 db