Since
November 2014, AOptix, a company
specializing in FSO, has been testing out Laser Radio
Technology, a Dark Fiber alternative
to installing Fiber Optic Cables with respectively as explained in the article “LaserRadio
Links Upgrade the Internet”, published November 17, 2014, By Tom Simonite, MIT Technology Review.
The
lucky Guinea pigs have refused to come forward and all that’s known about them
is that three (3) of them as in the USA, one is in Mexico and another in Nigeria,
all trying to implement Backhaul Networks in their respective Remote locations.
More
publicly, there are other AOptix clients
using Laser
Radio Technology that were not too afraid to reveal themselves:
- Mexican Telecom company Car-sa
uses their Laser
Radio Technology to interlink cell Towers to provide Broadband Internet
- Anova Technologies is using AOptix Laser Radio Technology to reduce Data travel time between Nasdaq Stock Market and the New York Stock Exchange
AOptix Laser Radio
Technology represents part of as global trend towards the use of Optical
Frequencies for the transmission of Data and other forms of LOS (Line of Sight)
Communications that have been around since the 70's. So a little historical
background is necessary before I explain how Laser Radio
Technology actually works.
FSO Origins – Fiberless
Optical Telecommunications standard from Alexander Graham Bell
FSO
(Free Space Optics) is a wireless optical communications standard that is used
in telecommunications to propagate signals using optical frequencies without
the use of a waveguide e.g. fiber Optic cable or an optical Waveguide.
Developed
by Alexander Graham Bell on June 3rd 1880, it enabled this pioneer
of telecommunications to transmit a telephone conversation between two
buildings 213m (700ft) apart. It was forgotten for some time but it has always
been in the eye of the Telecommunications world, as it potentially could be
used to set up Backhaul Network for Telecom Provider Network without the added
cost of paying for Spectrum licenses.
Jamaica,
for one, has not provisioned any Spectrum Licenses have no associated licensing
for Optical Frequencies. Thus FSO would be perfect for setting up an islandwide
Telecom Network, able to deliver FTTH (Fiber to The House) Speeds directly to
customers as well as act as the Backhaul Network for a 3G and possibly a 4G LTE
Network.
In
most FSO systems, the medium of transmission usually used is either air, the
vacuum of Outer Space or even an evacuated waveguide in a partial vacuum.
Mirrors are used to change the direction of the light beam, which is usually
laser as ordinary light, which is composed of many wavelengths, would diverge
the farther it travels from the light source.
For
that reason, all the equiptment used in a FSO system, including AOptix Laser-Radio Repeaters, is designed to
transmit, receive and amplify the original Laser signal in its original optical
format, without having to do reconversion from optical to electrical. This as
any optical to electrical conversion would add to the propagation delay and
increase latency.
FSO vs FLORA – Brother
from another Mother for Backhaul Networks and Apple iBeacon competitor
FSO
is a close cousin of FLORA (Fiberless Optical Receiver Array) based technology that
uses LED (Light Emitting Diode) to communicate with tablets and smartphones.
The
difference between FSO and FLORA, which I was taught about when I was a Telecom
Technician at C&W (2001 to 2004), is really in how the technologies work.
Both FSO and FLORA use either air, the vacuum of Outer Space or even an
evacuated waveguide in a partial vacuum as the medium, with lasers to transmit
the Data.
The
Data encoding schema is similar, with Data being encoded either as rapid on off
pulses of different durations to represent 1 (on bit) or 0 (off bit) or groups
of bits or using different coloured lasers to represent 1 (on bit) or 0 (off
bit) or groups of bits. Effectively it’s Morse code, but with Lasers, not too
far from Alexander Graham Bell’s original design back in 1880.
FSO
systems are mainly single-beam transmit and receive technologies. Some FSO
systems, such as the AOptix Laser-Radio
Repeaters, might have some other Tx-Rx technology functioning as a backup, such
as Millimeter
Waveguide that uses Millimeter
Wavelength to transmit Data.
FSO
systems are usually used for Backhaul systems as described above as well as
provisioning last mile Telecom Networks for Remote customers.
Millimeter
Wavelengths, which are more formally called the EHF (Extremely High
Frequency) band ranging form 30 GHz to 300 GHz, are just above the band of
spectrum reserved for Microwave Wavelengths, which starts at about 1 GHz. This
spectrum has a lot in common with Optical Frequencies as it is LOS (Line of
Sight) and is easily attenuated by rain.
In
the AOptix Laser-Radio Repeaters, it
serves as a backup that functions in a Dual-Plane Backup SWACT (Switch of
Activity) mode. This means that transmitted Data is being fed to both
Processors for the Laser side (Plane 0) and the Millimeter
Waveguide Side (Plane 1), with Plane 0 in Active Mode, processing transmit and
receive Data and Plane 1 in Standby Mode Processing Data but not transmitting.
Should
the Link Budget change due to inclement weather i.e. become foggy, the AOptix Laser-Radio Repeaters software
algorithms will detect the increasing BER (Bit error) causing the signal to
attenuate and switch over in the signal from
Plane 0 to Plane 1 without dropping the signal from either end of the Link at
the two cell Towers.
FLORA,
on the other hand, uses either regular Optical light or Laser light to transmit
Data.
Unlike
FSO, the FLORA systems usually derive their light from LED (Light Emitting
Diodes) or Lasers based on LED’s and are usually used for short distance
communications systems, such a Li-Fi, the optical equivalent of Wi-Fi.
In
recent years, research by EPSRC and University of Strathclyde published in
January 2013 is seeking to integrate Li-Fi into everyday Lighting fixtures as
predicted in my blog
article entitled “EPSRC
and University of Strathclyde researches FLORA based Li-Fi for developement in
the next four years - Selena Gomez’s Come and Get It FLORA Li-Fi for Last Mile
Internet to be Downloaded”.
Philip's
Intelligent Lighting System is an example of a FLORA based communication
systems as noted in my blog article
entitled “Philips Intelligent Lighting System delivers Li-Fi Network Personalized LBS Coupons using LED Lighting”.
The
Intelligent Lighting System was unveiled at the Euroshop Retail Show in
Düsseldorf, Germany, in February 2014. It communicates with smartphones using
the rapid pulsing on and off of LED light in pre-existing Philips LED Lighting
Fixtures, allowing for fast LOS communication without having to install Wi-Fi
routers as the light fixtures are a natural part of the background.
Philips
intended this FLORA based Network to be an optical alternative to Apple iBeacon
and even conventional Bluetooth for smartphones, being as it does the same
thing but using optical frequencies without the need to install new equiptment.
Instead, you’d install the Intelligent Lighting System in the pre-existing
Philips Lighting Fixtures, making it possible to send customers coupons and
deals which they’d receive via their Camera.
Clients
using this technology in their apps would have customers update their existing
app to add this new functionality. It would allow the previously installed app
to access the Camera to detect reflected pulsing light form objects around the
customer in s store setting.
Thus,
they’d be able to receive offers and coupons from Philips Intelligent Lighting
System without having to point their camera up wards at a lighting fixture.
So
is FSO in Backhaul Networks by Telecom Providers the next Big Trend in Telecoms?
It might be, as it not only sidesteps the cost of running Fiber Optic Cables,
including paying for Spectrum, but it might be a solution to the challenge of providing
Broadband Internet to customers in the proverbial Last Mile that has challenged
them for decades!
AOptix Laser Radio
Technology for Backhaul Networks - How Laser based Networks can deliver FTTH at
cheaper Prices
AOptix scales up that concept for Telecoms
Backhaul systems that carry traffic from one cellular Tower via Repeaters,
which is no different from installing an IPRAN (Internet Protocol Radio Access Network)
using Microwave Transmitters.
AOptix Laser Radio
Technology combines FSO with Millimeter Waveguide with proprietary algorithms
that manage the data being transmitted in a Dual-Plane Backup SWACT (Switch of
Activity) mode. The result is a signal with a very low BER that can be switch
the transmission Data between the Laser side (Plane 0) and the Millimeter
Waveguide Side (Plane 1) if the Link Budget changes, without the signal
experiencing de-coherence.
AOptix claims that their Laser Radio
Technology has solved the problem of attenuation due to changes in the link
budget for Backhaul Networks used for GSM, 3G and WiMAX Networks caused by
change in the Weather. FSO, which is Laser based, experiences signal
attenuation when the weather becomes foggy whereas Millimeter Waveguide BER is
affected by Rain.
AOptix combines three (3) separate
Technologies to ensure that their technology works under diverse operating conditions.
The
first is their RTAC (Real-Time Atmospheric Correction) to account for variations
in the refractive index of the atmosphere. This is due to changes in
atmospheric moisture that will also attenuate the signal and increase BER. By adjusting
the signal intensity of the Laser beam, AOptix
Laser-Radio Repeaters can conserve on the power usage and be more energy
efficient, unlike Microwave Transmitters that have one output power setting.
The
next technology is ABS (Active Beam Steering), a tracking technology used by AOptix Laser-Radio Repeaters that tracks the
movement of the receiver at the other end, ensuring that the signal is
transmitted without loss.
AOptix had patented an ABS (Active Beam
Steering) for AOptix Laser-Radio Repeaters
which was originally developed for one of their earlier clients, the Pentagon.
They used it to transmit high bandwidth Data between Ground Stations and fast
moving Drones and Jet Fighters. In this current implementation, it is used to
compensate for the swaying of the Cell Site Tower in the wind.
Finally,
there is the algorithm itself, called AWD (Advanced Wavelength Diversity), that
combines the transmission Data between the Laser side (Plane 0) and the Millimeter
Waveguide Side (Plane 1) into a signal that has a very low BER that can
withstand change in the Link Budget including:
1.
Fog
2.
High winds
3.
Hurricanes
4.
Rain
5.
Snow
AOptix has been testing their technology with
such as the Pentagon as well as the US Military for several years, being as
attempts to intercept the beam can be easily detected, similar to traditional Fiber
Optic Communications.
This
makes it super-secure and potentially can be used to connect Quantum Computers,
possibly paving the Way for the Development of a Optical Quantum Networks as
predicted in my blog
article entitled “Kavli
Institute of Nanoscience demonstrates Quantum Teleportation – Super-cooled
Diamonds demonstrate faster-than-light potential for Computing and
Telecommunications” .
AOptix's Laser Radio
Technology is truly unique, as it is the only Wireless Backhaul Technology
I personal have every heard that can make the claim that it can avoid de-coherence
during a snowstorm, high winds and still manage to be cheaper than laying Fiber
Optic Cables.
From
its previous applications in the military to transmit data to Drones and jet fighters,
it could possibly be used as a form of ship-to-shore communications alternative
for Ships to communicate with the harbour or even for high speed Marine Police
Boats to communicate with Drones up to 10 km away, thereby extending their
range as pointed out in my blog article
entitled “@agriministryja
Poacher Spotting Drones – Ministry of National Security to Determine How Drones
can Fly Farther”.
Its
advantage of not having to pay for Spectrum License, however, is probably one
of its most attractive features that makes it a true Dark Fiber Alternative.
The
main difference is that the ODU (Outdoor Units) consist of AOptix equiptment that uses optical
frequencies with a Millimeter waveguide backup. The idea behind the testing of
the Technology is that installing Laser-based links with Millimeter Wave
Antennas is that they're cheaper to install than running Fiber Optic Cables for
a similar distance.
Please
note albeit the link speed is 2 Gbps, this is a Multiplexed Data Channel,
containing as much as 512 Data Channels at speeds of 2 Gbps or slower. As such,
the 2 Gbps represents the Multiplexing rate, which has to be faster than the
fastest channel times the number of channels.
In
the suburbs of New York, costs can run as high as US$800,000 per kilometer. With
the technology being tested by AOptix, a
typical link can be as long as 10km, with multiple Repeaters installed on cell Towers
to create multiple links or hops between Cell Sites.
Using
Laser-based links with Millimeter Wave Antennas helps to compensate for variations
in the Link Budget due to weather, such as fog which blocks lasers and Rain,
with reduces the range of Millimeter waves.
The
results are speeds as high as 2 Gbps, with faster multiplexing speeds of 4 Gbps
coming in the future. This means that if AOptix
technology was used for a single link to a single customer, it would be
possible to deliver Basic Broadband speeds to that household at near Broadband
speeds.
Laser Radio Technology
and the Last Mile – Connecting Remote Communities in Rural Towns around the
World
To
me, personally, the true potential uses of Fibreless Optical Technology are not
just in consumer electronics.
Most
of these applications are really examples of FLORA such as GE (General
Electric) and LG Electronics Li-Fi Networks as argued in my blog article
entitled “General
Electric debuts US$15 LED Link Lights controllable via Wink App - Home
Automation with Wi-Fi” and “Li-Fi
Hotspots and LG Electronics Internet Controlled LED Light Bulb - Li-Fi’s
Standardization of Alexander Graham Bell’s First Invention powered by Powerline
AV 500 and Homeplug AV”.
Rather,
FLORA’s brother from another mother, FSO, has the capacity to bridge the gap in
the challenging Last Mile face by Telecom Providers. It can be used either as a
Backhaul Network or as a Last Mile Solution to provide Broadband Internet for
people living in far flung communities far away from Main Cities and Towns that
already have Broadband Internet.
Currently
in Milk River, we use a Private WiMax Network to access very basic Internet
using a link from Juan De Bolas with the Head-end source being from FLOW as
noted in my blog
article entitled “FLOW
rolls out Hosted PBX - How 100 MBs FLOW Ultra can power a Private WiMaX
Community Network”.
With FSO based Technologies similar to AOptix’s Laser Radio
Technology, it might be possible in the future to deliver FTTH (Fiber to
the House) speeds directly to people’s homes.
This
can possibly be done at costs significantly lower than the cost of even installing
Fiber Optic Cables on Light posts as is currently being done by Digicel as
explained in my Geezam blog article entitled
“Digicel
Sportsmax 5-year NBA deal means Fiber and 4G LTE coming December 2015”.
Just
like FTTH, because home owners are not mobile, so long as they have LOS with
the FSO Cell Tower, they’ll be able to receive Broadband Internet at their
homes. Finally, there is no associated Spectrum licenses associated with FSO
based technologies such as AOptix
Laser-Radio Repeaters, making the technology very low-cost to deploy.
For
those living at the End of the Last Mile, AOptix
Laser-Radio Repeaters may be the ray of Hope that will connect many rural
communities to a high speed Broadband future.
Here’s
the link:
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