Overcoming Atmospheric Turbulence and Elevation Differences
NEC Corporation has successfully demonstrated Japan’s longest terrestrial wireless optical communication, or free-space optical (FSO) communication, over a distance of more than 10 km. This achievement is a significant milestone in the development of FSO technology, which has the potential to revolutionize wireless communication.
- FSO communication transmits and receives light beams without using physical paths, such as optical fibers.
- It has high directionality and does not spread beams, resulting in low risk of interception by third parties, reduced interference and congestion in communication, and no need for radio wave usage permits.
A New Era for Communication
These newly developed technologies are expected to be utilized for communications in locations and regions where it is difficult to install optical fiber, and for communications between ships at sea and the land. They will also be used as an alternative or emergency communication method in the event of a disaster when wired communication networks become damaged.
“The success of this demonstration is a significant step forward in the development of FSO technology, which has the potential to revolutionize wireless communication.”
Overcoming Challenges
Conventionally, one of the challenges for FSO communications has been overcoming the negative impact on stable communications from atmospheric turbulence, such as heat haze, that increase with distance.
- NEC has developed a capture and tracking technology that enables automatic capture and tracking of bidirectional optical beams.
- The company has also developed long-distance optical communication technology used in satellites.
Successful Demonstration
NEC conducted a communication demonstration between a pair of FSO communication devices located more than 10 km apart in Nasushiobara City, Tochigi Prefecture.
