Chapter 1
Perspectives on Lightwave
Communications
Abstract The concept of using optical fibers for communications proposed by Kao
and Hockman in 1966 spawned an entire new industry based on photonics technology.
This chapter describes the motivations and the progressive successes behind optical
fiber communications. The discussion notes that many innovative optical fiber and
photonic component developments were created to achieve high-speed links. In addition, a great deal of effort was expended in devising installation procedures, creating
network test and monitoring equipment, and formulating a variety of international
standards.
People have considered using optical methods for communicating over long distances
ever since ancient times. In the era around 1000 BC the Greeks and Romans used
optical transmission links employing methods such as smoke signals and beacon
fires for sending alarms, calls for help, or announcements of certain events. Improvements of these optical transmission systems were not pursued very actively due to
technological limitations at the time. For example, the speed of sending information
over the communication link was limited because the transmission rate depended
on how fast the senders could move their hands, the optical signal receiver was the
error-prone human eye, line-of-sight transmission paths were required, and atmospheric effects such as fog and rain made the transmission path unreliable. Thus it
turned out to be faster, more efficient, and more dependable to send messages by a
courier over the road network [1].
Subsequently, no significant advances for optical communications appeared until
the invention of the laser in the early 1960s. With the potential of high-speed laserbased transmission capacities in mind, experiments using atmospheric optical channels then were carried out. However, the high cost of developing and implementing
such systems, together with the limitations imposed on the atmospheric optical channels by rain, fog, snow, and dust, make such extremely high-speed links economically
unattractive.
At the same time it was recognized that an optical fiber could provide a more
reliable transmission channel because it is not subject to adverse environmental
conditions [2, 3]. Initially, the extremely large losses of more than 1000 dB/km made
optical fibers appear impractical. This changed in 1966 when Kao and Hockman [4]
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
G. Keiser, Fiber Optic Communications,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4665-9_1
1
Perspectives on Lightwave
Communications
Abstract The concept of using optical fibers for communications proposed by Kao
and Hockman in 1966 spawned an entire new industry based on photonics technology.
This chapter describes the motivations and the progressive successes behind optical
fiber communications. The discussion notes that many innovative optical fiber and
photonic component developments were created to achieve high-speed links. In addition, a great deal of effort was expended in devising installation procedures, creating
network test and monitoring equipment, and formulating a variety of international
standards.
People have considered using optical methods for communicating over long distances
ever since ancient times. In the era around 1000 BC the Greeks and Romans used
optical transmission links employing methods such as smoke signals and beacon
fires for sending alarms, calls for help, or announcements of certain events. Improvements of these optical transmission systems were not pursued very actively due to
technological limitations at the time. For example, the speed of sending information
over the communication link was limited because the transmission rate depended
on how fast the senders could move their hands, the optical signal receiver was the
error-prone human eye, line-of-sight transmission paths were required, and atmospheric effects such as fog and rain made the transmission path unreliable. Thus it
turned out to be faster, more efficient, and more dependable to send messages by a
courier over the road network [1].
Subsequently, no significant advances for optical communications appeared until
the invention of the laser in the early 1960s. With the potential of high-speed laserbased transmission capacities in mind, experiments using atmospheric optical channels then were carried out. However, the high cost of developing and implementing
such systems, together with the limitations imposed on the atmospheric optical channels by rain, fog, snow, and dust, make such extremely high-speed links economically
unattractive.
At the same time it was recognized that an optical fiber could provide a more
reliable transmission channel because it is not subject to adverse environmental
conditions [2, 3]. Initially, the extremely large losses of more than 1000 dB/km made
optical fibers appear impractical. This changed in 1966 when Kao and Hockman [4]
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
G. Keiser, Fiber Optic Communications,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4665-9_1
1