Faster optical communications

20 June 2006

Monash University researchers have scooped the pool of prizes, including the $100,000 Peter Doherty Prize for Innovation, at the Commercialisation Expo 2006, for their work in faster optical communications.

Professor Arthur Lowery and Associate Professor Jean Armstrong, from the Faculty of Engineering at Monash, have developed the Optical OFDM, which is the optical equivalent of ADSL. ADSL allows faster communication along telephone lines. Optical OFDM uses similar technology to speed up communications along optical fibres and infrared wireless systems.

The technology enables existing fibres to carry four times the data over longer distances without the need for modification or new infrastructure, making internet applications on existing lines much faster.

The Peter Doherty prize recognized the Optical OFDM technology as the most outstanding commercialisation opportunity submitted to the Commercialisation Expo 2006. The expo is being held in Melbourne from 18-20 June. Additionally, Professor Lowery and Dr Armstrong were awarded the sectoral $20,000 ICT prize and the $US4000 ANZA Technology Network Award.

The OFDM technology was one of 11 short-listed projects reviewed by an independent panel chaired by Mr Mike Hirshorn, CEO, Nanyang Ventures.

The Optical OFDM technology automatically configures itself to the optimum bandwidth of existing optical fibres. While conventional systems transmit on a single frequency, Optical OFDM transmits many parallel frequencies more slowly, but all at the same time.

It is applicable to both optical fibre and infrared wireless systems.

As well as the optical fibre applications, Dr Armstrong said the technology would enable people quicker and better access to the internet and eventually could be used as a basis for a 'world without wires' where, for example, home entertainment systems would communicate using infrared light, and the tangle of cables behind television sets would be eliminated.

She said the technology could also allow wireless technology in laptops to be replaced with infrared technology.

"This has many advantages - because the signals don't go through walls, they don't interfere with a neighbour's system. It also reduces security problems," she said.