@AOptix testing Laser Radio Technology Networks - How Laser based FTTH Networks delivers Broadband to Communities in the Last Mile

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:

1. Mexican Telecom company Car-sa uses their Laser Radio Technology to interlink cell Towers to provide Broadband Internet
2. 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 3^rd 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:

Laser Radio Technology