COST IC1101 (OPTICWISE): Optical Wireless Communications - an Emerging Technology

Wireless transmission via optical carriers opens doors of opportunity in areas as yet largely unexplored. Offering significant technical and operational advantages, optical wireless communication (OWC) can be, in some applications, a powerful alternative to and, in others, complementary to existing radio frequency (RF) wireless systems. Variations of OWC can be employed in a diverse range of communication applications ranging from very short-range (on the order of millimetres) optical interconnects within integrated circuits to satellite links (larger than 10,000 kilometres). In many respects, OWC research is still in its infancy and calls for extensive research to begin to harness the enormous potential of the optical spectrum. This COST Action will serve as a high-profile consolidated European scientific platform for interdisciplinary OWC research activities, spanning from characterization of diverse propagation media to modelling, design and development of devices, components, algorithms/protocols and systems. It will make significant contributions to the fundamental scientific understanding, technical knowledge, engineering design and applications while promoting community awareness of this emerging field. Development of novel and efficient communication technologies resulting from integrated research activities made possible through this Action will be a significant enabler for future-generation heterogeneous communication networks supporting a wide range of wireless services/applications.