Optical Wireless Technologies for Broadband Communications

Today's information exchange depends on the transmission of data, voice and multimedia across the telecommunication networks. Optical wireless broadband communication represents one of the most promising approaches for addressing the emerging broadband access market. It offers low start-up and operational costs, high security, rapid deployment, high fibre-like bandwidths where no licence is needed. On the other side optical wireless links can be severely affected by fog and atmospheric turbulence. However, the optical wireless communications, also refered to as free space optical communications, will play a significant role in future information superhighways. The research group Optikom at TU Graz deals with the research and development of optical communications with special emphasis on Free Space Optics (FSO). It participates in several national and international projects, including EU Network of Excellence SatNEx, several ESA projects, and COST IC0802 action related to channel modelling for FSO systems. The group is currently investigating how to increase the reliability of FSO systems by new hybrid RF-FSO system design, considering different weather and atmospheric conditions, new modulation and coding schemes and different diversity techniques.