Phoenix Photonics, the UK-based fibre optics specialists, is taking part in a key European Union collaborative R&D project to investigate the technologies required to achieve a 100-fold increase on current telecommunications optical fibre-based network capacity limits.
Phoenix is focused on the critical components part of the project in developing the new telecommunications platform to keep pace with world demand as the physical capacity limitations of single mode fibre transmission are reached.
'Components providing the functionality of a network are the fundamental building blocks of any system,' said Phoenix Photonics' CEO Dr Ian Giles. 'The new fibres proposed within the project - known as MODE-GAP - to facilitate spatial division multiplexing, demand a whole new range of components. Our role is to address the challenge to provide these advanced fibre components, which will be based on our proven in-house technologies.'
MODE-GAP is a project funded under the EU 7th Framework Programme. It is seeking to provide Europe with a lead in the development of the next generation internet infrastructure. Combining the expertise of eight world-leading photonics partners, MODE-GAP will develop transmission technologies based on specialist long-haul transmission fibres, and associated enabling technologies such as novel rare-earth doped optical amplifiers, transmitter and receiver components and data processing techniques to increase the capacity of broadband networks.
Other organisations involved alongside Phoenix are the University of Southampton's Optoelectronics Research Centre, ESPCI ParisTech, OFS Fitel Denmark APS, the COBRA Institute at Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, Eblana Photonics, Nokia Siemens Networks and the Tyndall National Institute of University College Cork.
