Abstract

Wireless access networks provide users the attractive feature of untethered connectivity. The increasing demand for broadband services has led to the consideration of the millimeter-wave frequency band (26 GHz and above) where the total capacity of an antenna base-station (BS) can approach 1-2 Gb/s. Optical fiber-feed networks are being proposed as the means to interconnect a large number of functionally simple antenna BSs, to a central office (CO) implementing a variety of switching and routing functions. By incorporating wavelength division multiplexing technology, scaleable and easy-to-manage fiber feed networks can be realized. Rapid developments in both photonic and microwave technologies have fuelled an intense effort into the research and development of these 'hybrid' fiber-wireless networks. This tutorial will present an overview of the progress of the merging of the wireless and fiberoptic worlds in the areas of the associated enabling technologies, sub-systems and system demonstrations. A variety of issues that must be addressed in the implementation of hybrid fiber-radio systems will be introduced, including the required photonic components at both the CO and BS, as well as the the effect of the optical fiber characteristics on the transportation of the wireless signals.

© 2002 Optical Society of America