OFC 2025, celebrating its 50th year, will offer plenty of opportunities to learn about cutting-edge technologies, such as AI, co-packaged optics (CPO)/linear powered optics (LPO), hollow core fiber, and quantum networking.
Everything in the optical and broader telecom industry, such as the public switched telecom network (PSTN) and transport technologies like T-1s, was developed to address an immediate network need. As new efficient technologies emerge, the call to migrate always gets louder.
Still, when providers decide to shut down a copper-based service, they must consider the impact on existing users.
But what would happen if a disaster wiped out the world’s communications infrastructure?
An informal Rump session at OFC would address such a scenario: If a Global Disaster Struck and all the Optical Infrastructure was Wiped Out, Would You Rebuild with Today’s Mainstream Technologies?
The session could raise questions: Would this blank slate eliminate the support of legacy systems and provide dramatic efficiency improvements, or will there be any copper at all?
One potential benefit is that providers would not have to support legacy systems, which could improve efficiency. Like providers do today in Greenfield markets, the networks would likely be rebuilt with all fiber.
Such an idea is not science fiction.
AT&T told investors during its fourth-quarter earnings call that it will file FCC filings to stop selling legacy copper products at 1,300 wire centers. In 2018, AT&T had to replace copper wiring damaged by fires with fiber facilities in parts of its California market because of drought conditions.
Nicolas Fontaine, department head of research Nokia Bell Labs and general chair of the OFC Technical Program Committee, said the rump session will give new attendees a different view of OFC.
“A student can come up and propose an idea, and they are all treated the same way at the Rump session,” he said. “Everyone is encouraged to participate and share ideas or thoughts, and very nice discussions come from that interaction.”
All these points are how I will approach OFC; it’s about questioning and proposing the possibilities that innovations allow us to advance what’s here today and how providers could start with a clean network slate if a disaster occurred.
You can read about these trends and others in our Lightwave+BTR OFC print magazine issue, which will be distributed during the OFC show.
Sean Buckley
Sean is responsible for establishing and executing the editorial strategies of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report across their websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products.