Guest Editorial: Optical Wireless in Space, 6G, and X-Haul Networks

Optical wireless communication (OWC), also called free-space optical communication, has recently evolved in many significant ways, and is now employed in a wide range of terrestrial and space applications. Examples include optical inter-satellite links for Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite, airborne o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE communications magazine 2024-03, Vol.62 (3), p.14-15
Main Authors: Yuksel, Murat, Toyoshima, Morio, Erkmen, Baris I.
Format: Magazinearticle
Language:English
Subjects:
Commercialization
Data transfer (computers)
Free-space optical communication
Intersatellite communications
Low earth orbits
Radio frequency
Satellite communications
Space applications
Wireless communications
Wireless networks
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Summary:Optical wireless communication (OWC), also called free-space optical communication, has recently evolved in many significant ways, and is now employed in a wide range of terrestrial and space applications. Examples include optical inter-satellite links for Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite, airborne or terrestrial optical wireless links for backhaul/fronthaul networks, and indoor visible light communication that piggybacks wireless data transfer to solid-state lighting infrastructure. OWC offers the use of unlicensed spectrum, has much larger band-width than legacy radio frequency (RF) systems, and is naturally more secure with low probability-of-intercept. Continued innovations in OWC technologies have accelerated commercialization efforts across many emerging applications. However, as these optical wireless systems and components are becoming more common, new design challenges emerge in their integration to the mainstream wireless communication technologies.
ISSN:0163-6804
1558-1896
DOI:10.1109/MCOM.2024.10462049