AOptix is a maker of ultra-high capacity wireless communications. In a recent announcement, the company revealed that it has invented Laser-Radio Technology (LRT), which integrates wireless optical technology (Free Space Optics) with radio frequency (Millimeter Wave) technology to provide reliable, ultra-high bandwidth capacity at up to two Gbps of data with carrier-grade availability up to 6.2 miles.
We spoke with Christina Richards, VP, Marketing, AOptix for more details.
IoT Evolution World: Air optical strategies have been around for decades. Does “Wavelength-division multiplexing” or WDM electronics apply to optical air as well as it does to optical fiber?
Richards: Yes, WDM electronics applies to optical transmission, regardless of whether the transmission medium is a glass fiber or through the air. Laser-Radio Technology is an innovation that combines both advanced optics with millimeter-wave RF technology. So Laser-Radio is not only optical: it is a combination of both optical and radio. By combining these complementary technologies, we are able to deliver a connection that’s superior to stand-alone as optical or as radio-based technology.
IoTEW: In the wireless world, Beam forming is becoming more important. Can the wireless operators do a mix use to make optical air a beamforming tool as well?
R: Beamforming technology is specific to technologies that have the capability of being either point-to-multipoint or point-to-point, as in the case of radio-frequency technology. Using beamforming allows radio-frequency technology to focus all of its transmission energy into one specific location, making it more effective for specific point-to-point application. The AOptix Laser-Radio technology is built entirely as a point-to-point, line-of-sight technology, so both technologies are engineered from the beginning to be point-to-point.
IoTEW: What is the typical range and how important is line of sight?
R: Depending on the location of the deployment, the product’s range is up to six miles. A typical deployment distance is about three miles. Line-of-sight is a requirement, but unlike digging a route for point-to-point fiber connections, you can point the beam as the crow flies, making the link distance shorter and improving speed of deployment.
Edited by
Ken Briodagh
