Abstract:

Integrated photonics is approaching a critical inflection point where the main barrier to large-scale adoption is no longer device performance, but workflow maturity. In contrast to microelectronics — where highly developed modeling, standardized PDKs, and tightly integrated design-to-packaging flows enable first-time-right silicon — photonics still lacks the predictive accuracy, tool integration, and accessibility needed for rapid prototyping and fast iteration. This workshop will explore how to mature photonic workflows toward microelectronics-like streamlining, with a focus on multi-physics modeling, electronic–photonic co-design, scalable packaging, and the emerging role of programmable photonics as a path to faster validation, reconfigurability, and system-level optimization.

 

 

Abstract:

Free-space optical (FSO) communications are emerging as a key technology for next-generation satellite systems, enabling high-capacity, low-latency links beyond legacy RF systems. However, atmospheric turbulence severely limits optical communication links, in particular ground-to-space uplinks, requiring advanced mitigation techniques spanning system design, adaptive optics, diversity, coding, and coherent digital processing. This workshop brings together solution providers and end users to address application requirements, review state-of-the-art mitigation strategies, and define a technology roadmap for reliable, 100+ Gbps optical space–ground networks.

 

Time	Speaker	Institution	Presentation title
09:00	Jonst, Abraham	Fraunhofer HHI	“Diversity-based fade mitigation for coherent ground-space optical links”
09:13	Reeves, Andrew	Durham Univ.	"Atmospheric Turbulence Mitigation for High-Rate, Ultra-Low-Latency Coherent Ground-to-Space Optical Links: Final Hurdles to Commercialization"
09:26	Professor Wu Jian	Beijing university of Posts and Telecommunication	"Impact and Mitigation of Atmospheric Turbulence in Satellite-Ground Laser Links"
09:39	Guiomar, Fernando	Aveiro	Adaptive Coherent DSP and Turbulence Mitigation Techniques for Robust High-Capacity Ground-to-Space Optical Links
09:52	Goy, Matthias	Fraunhofer-IOF	„From Primary Mirror to Fiber Core – The Optical Antenna and Its Relay Architecture”
10:05	Laidlaw, Douglas	DLR-KN	“Building the Next Generation of Adaptive Optics Systems: a Robust and Scalable Solution for High-Throughput Free-Space Optical Communication”
10:18	Panel discussion
10:38	coffee break
11:00	Carrasco-Casado, Alberto	NICT	Accepted, provisional title: "Space Laser Communications Through the Atmosphere: NICT's Experience in Japan"
11:13	Bennet, Francis	ANU	“Australian National University laser communication program: an overview of laser propagation and correction through atmospheric turbulence”
11:26	Robinson, Bryan	MIT LL	“Performance of link-layer and physical-layer atmospheric mitigation approaches for free-space optical communications”
11:39	Lanz, Thierry	OGS Technologies	Towards Robust High Capacity LEO Coherent Optical Links: Recent Results of LEO DTL Links with Adaptive Optics and Atmospheric Channel Characterization
11:52	Thomas, Alain	SAFRAN	Towards Robust High Capacity LEO Coherent Optical Links: combining Adaptive Optics, Transmit diversity and Digital Signal Processing
12:05	Panel discussion

 

Abstract:

AI-driven workloads and growing access-network demands are rapidly increasing energy consumption and stressing the scalability of today’s network infrastructures.
This workshop examines how deployable optical and photonic solutions—such as high-capacity AI interconnects, energy-efficient coherent access technologies, low-power DSP, and coordinated network-compute management—can reduce operational costs while meeting performance and sustainability targets.
Bringing together experts from academia, industry, and operators, the workshop will define key technological pathways toward sustainable AI data centers and access networks.

Description:
The growth of AI and global connectivity is driving unprecedented demands, pushing both data centers and access networks to their energy and performance limits. Training large AI models requires massive computational power, while expanding access networks must handle higher capacities without increasing energy consumption.
Optical access networks have already adopted various energy-saving mechanisms, such as ONU sleep and doze modes, to reduce their carbon footprint. Nevertheless, emerging trends are shifting the landscape. The possible adoption of coherent technologies and the associated digital signal processing (DSP) requirements are expected to significantly raise power consumption, especially as access networks scale to higher capacities and wider deployment.
At the same time, the energy and resource consumption of AI-based data centers is rapidly growing due to the unprecedented computational power required for training and running complex models, particularly generative AI. As generative AI models (LLMs) push the boundaries of complexity, the traditional data center is rapidly evolving into the AI Factory. Training these massive LLMs requires thousands of GPUs/Accelerators to communicate and exchange unprecedented amounts of data, placing immense pressure on the underlying infrastructure and consuming significantly more energy than traditional server chips. This rapid scaling imposes multiple challenges on AI data centers, ranging from network bottlenecks (supported capacity and latency) to the optimization of computing resources, and long-term sustainability. To meet these demands, photonic technologies are essential in paving the way towards scalable AI infrastructure.
The impact of both access and data centers networks on overall energy and resource consumption is thus expected to significantly increase in the near future.
This comes at a critical moment when 107 countries, responsible for approximately 82% of global greenhouse gas emissions, have pledged to achieve net-zero carbon emissions, following the commitments of the 2015 Paris Agreement and the EU’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040 compared to 1990 levels.
Considering all this, AI has a tremendous impact on our society and is challenging the scientific community. What and how joint technological efforts can respond to the challenge?
This workshop explores how optical and photonic innovations—spanning high-bandwidth AI interconnects, coherent and energy-efficient access technologies, low-power DSP, and advanced sleep/doze mechanisms, joint network and computing orchestration—can enable greener and scalable infrastructures.
Experts from academia, industry, and operators will discuss integrated hardware, software, and architectural solutions that reduce energy consumption while ensuring high performance. Join us to shape the roadmap for sustainable and future-proof AI data centers and access networks.
 

WS Planning

September 20, 2026, Session 1 (09:00 - 10:30)
09:00 - 09:15: WS Opening (WS Organizers)
09:15 - 09:30: J. Pedro Fernandez (Telefónica), “Operator perspective on network infrastructure and roadmap towards scalability and sustainability”
09:30 - 09:45: F. Saliou (Orange Research), “Optical access networks & energy-saving”
09:45 - 10:00: R. Bonk (Nokia), “Next generation PON architectures and systems for sustainable connected intelligence”
10:00 - 10:15: L. Katsuo Oxenløwe (DTU), “The Need for environmental sustainability assessment of ICT technologies and services”
10:15 - 10:30: N. Calabretta (TU/e), “Photonic integrated switching solutions for energy-efficient high-capacity interconnects networks”

Session 2 (11:00 - 12:30)
11:00 - 11:15: P. Bakopoulos (NVIDIA), “Photonics-enabled technologies for AI factories”
11:15 - 11:30: B. Yoo (UCDavis), “Photonic Switching and Computing in Future AI and Data Systems”
11:30 - 11:45: A. Gonzalez (IPRONICS), “Scalable Photonic Integration for energy-efficient scale-up AI networking”
11:45 - 12:30: Panel (All speakers)

 

The combination of fiber-to-the-room (FTTR) with Wi-Fi is an enabler for high-performance wireless indoor access in households and industries. We will discuss recent developments of next-generation optical in-building networks with a focus on the vast range of often overlooked benefits beyond higher data rates.

Abstract:

The workshop addresses the increasingly critical in-building network segment, where over 80% of all data traffic is consumed and generated. It focuses on quality of experience, reliability, low latency, and the growing needs of AI and non-AI services across homes, enterprises, and dense indoor venues.

Fiber-to-the-Room (FTTR) and Fiber-to-the-Machine (FTTM) are key enablers for high-performance, energy-efficient indoor networks. The discussion also covers coordination of Wi-Fi, millimeter-wave, and LiFi technologies, as well as centralized control for better mobility, resource management, and interference handling.

Participants will gain practical insight into technical, economic, and environmental aspects of in-building networks, including deployment challenges, future trends, and real-world case studies.

References
[1] Deloitte Broadband Consumer Survey 2025
[2] ETSI GS F5G 023 V1.1.1 (2024-09)

Confirmed speakers

• Andreas Gladisch / Deutsche Telekom — “Can optics fix the indoor challenge?”
• Li Junwei / China Mobile — “Considerations on Deployment and Technology Development of FTTR”
• Marcos Martinez / Maxlinear — “ITU-T Q3/15 technologies for FTTR”
• Ronald Heron / Nokia — “Optimized Optical In-building Networks for future IoT, AI and Wireless Needs”
• Jim Lansford / DeepSig — “AI-Native modems for Wi-Fi 9”
• Eric Wang Xiang / Huawei — “Intelligent FTTR and mmWave integration for premium quality smart homes application”
• Anselm / Fraunhofer HHI — “Functional Split to Improve Throughput and Latency of Wi-Fi in Fiber-to-the-Room Networks”
• Boris Bellalta / UPF — “Toward Multi-AP Joint Scheduling in Next-Generation Wi-Fi”

Agenda
Sunday, September 20 (09:00–12:30)
Talks: 15 mins + 2–3 mins clarifying questions

09:00–09:05	Opening Words
09:05–09:25	Andreas Gladisch / Deutsche Telekom
09:25–09:45	Li Junwei / China Mobile
09:45–10:05	Marcos Martinez / Maxlinear
10:05–10:25	Ronald Heron / Nokia
10:25–10:40	Panel discussion with first four speakers — Focus: Fixed
10:40–11:00	Coffee break
11:00–11:20	Jim Lansford / DeepSig
11:20–11:40	Eric Wang Xiang / Huawei
11:40–12:00	Anselm / Fraunhofer HHI
12:00–12:20	Boris Bellalta / UPF
12:20–12:30	Panel discussion with second four speakers — Focus: Wi-Fi

 

Abstract:

This workshop aims to share emerging objectives driven by the power limitations of future optical communication systems—from AI clusters to submarine networks—and to discuss potential technological breakthroughs.

 

Agenda	Speaker	Affiliation	Topics
Session 1	Scale up and out
1-1	Drew Alduino	Meta	AI Data Center Networking – Power Savings Opportunities and Challenges
1-2	Sara Zebian	OpenAI	Power efficient scale up in AI, does copper still do the job?
1-3	Ashkan Seyedi	ams OSRAM	How can Slow & Wide Interconnects bring key benefits for scale-up networks?
1-4	Karl Muth	Broadcom	High-speed I/O in AI clusters
1-5	Sunil Priyadarshi	Arista	Pluggables forever: power efficient ultra-dense XPO
1-6	David Welch	AttoTude	ASICs over Dielectrics for Scale-Up - Is it optical or electrical?
Coffee Break
Session 2	Scale across to scale global
2-1	Matt Newland	Google US	Power efficient scale-across
2-2	Bilal Riaz	Ciena	Breaking the Power Wall with Multi-Rail Photonics and Optical Interconnect Innovation
2-3	Kiyo Ishii	AIST	Pushing Optical Network Efficiency to the Limit for the AI Era: From QoT Margins to Goodput-Aware Operation
2-4	John van Weerdenburg	Nokia	Power efficient submarine pluggable transceivers
2-5	Fatih Yaman	NEC America	Power efficient multi-petabit/s submarine cables
2-6	Alexi Carbo	Alcatel Submarine Networks	Can hollow core fibers improve the power efficiency in submarine systems?

 

Abstract:

The integration of lasers remains a significant challenge in the most scalable PICs such as Si, SiN, TFLN. In most cases, these platforms need external lasers, as on-chip lasers have yet to match the performance of discrete counterparts. Yet, as additional functionalities on the light sources are required for different applications, their integration onto PICs could be a driver for wide market adoption and cost reduction. This workshop brings a pool of experts who will discuss on one part their application needs and on the other part how different laser architectures and underlying integration technologies could meet their requirements.

1. Scott Wilkinson (CignalAI)
2. Mark Filer (Oracle)
3. Zhang Shiyong (Huawei)
4. Haisheng Rong (AMD)
5. Keren Bergman (Columbia University)

1. Lukas Chrostowski (University of British Columbia)
2. Alan Liu (Quintessen)
3. Rui Santos (Photon Bridge)
4. Yoshiho Maeda  (NTT)
5. Victor Torres Company (Chalmers University of Technology)
6. Claire Besancon (III-V Lab)

Abstract:

Quantum communication, and more precisely quantum key distribution (QKD), has started revolutionizing secure communication over optical networks. But despite rapid progress, quantum communication remains fundamentally limited in point-to-point range due to photon loss. This workshop aims at gathering some of the world-leading actors in the rapidly evolving field of quantum repeaters, which promise overcoming this limitation.

 

Time	Speaker	Title
9:00 – 9:15	Adam Kinos (Lund Technical University, SE)	Welcome and Introduction
9:15 – 9:40	Ben Lanyon (University of Innsbruck, AT)	Towards quantum repeaters based on trapped ions integrated into optical cavities
9:40 – 10:05	Sophie Hermans (Delft Technical University, NL)	Quantum networks using rare-earth ion-based solid-state qubits
10:05 – 10:30	Mihir Bhaskar (IonQ, US)	Implementation and applications of telecom quantum networks based on heralded quantum memories in diamond
10:30 – 11:00	Break
11:00 – 11:25	Julien Laurat (Sorbonne University, FR)	TBA
11:25 – 11:50	Zong-Quan Zhou (University of Science and Technology of China, CN)	Bell tests and quantum communication based on a metropolitan-scale multiplexed quantum repeater (XingHan 2.0)
11:50 – 12:30	Led by Wolfgang Tittel (University of Geneva, CH)	Panel discussion

 

Abstract:

AI-native automation and digital-twin technologies for optical networks depend on access to diverse, high-quality, and trustworthy telemetry. However, today’s data remains siloed across vendors, operators, and research testbeds, limiting reproducibility and slowing progress toward interoperable AI-driven network control. Emerging concepts such as data spaces, sovereign data sharing, and federated learning offer a path to unlock collaboration without centralizing sensitive operational data.
This workshop explores whether global or federated optical testbeds can serve as the backbone of a telco data-space ecosystem, enabling reliable AI models, cross-domain digital twins, and scalable simulation capabilities. Moreover, it aims to identify reference architectures, interoperability requirements, and governance models that could enable a federated, AI-ready optical testbed ecosystem.

 

Session 1: Data Sharing Use-cases and Applications for Telco and Beyond

• Andreas Gladisch, Deutsche Telekom. Title: TBD
• Riccardo Nicolicchia Telefonica Spain. Title, TBD
• Camille Delezoide, NOKIA Bell Labs. Title: Open Datasets, Data Sharing, and their Impact for Optical Networking Research
• Yvan Pointourier, Huawei. Title: Use Cases for AI-native Optical Networks Design and Management
• TBD

Session 2: Data Sharing Principles and Solutions

• Agastya Raj, Trinity College Dublin. Title: Bridging Testbed Telemetry and Digital Twins: Lessons from Large-Scale Optical Network Experimentation
• Angela Mitrovska, Fraunhofer HHI. Title: From Data Sharing to Federated Operations: The Expanding Role of Telco Data Spaces
• Yuki Yoshida, NICT. Title: Powering AI via Testbeds: Establishing Sustainable and Sovereign Data Pipelines
• TBD
• TBD

Abstract:

As hyperscalers deploy AI infrastructure at unprecedented scale, they require optical connectivity across a broad spectrum of applications, from intra-data-center GPU fabrics and optical circuit switches to inter-DC links, metro networks, and long-haul interconnects. Each application imposes distinct requirements on bandwidth, reach, latency, power consumption, and cost, driving the need for a diverse portfolio of specialized pluggable transceivers. This workshop brings together market analysts, hyperscalers, silicon vendors, and optical module designers, alongside academic researchers exploring novel photonic signal processing solutions, to examine the challenges and design trade-offs shaping next-generation pluggables from 800G through 1.6T to 3.2T and beyond.

SESSION 1 (14:00 – 15:30): Market Trends and AI-Driven Requirements
Format: 15 minutes per speaker (Presentation + quick Q&A), followed by a final round table.
• 14:00 - 14:15 - Daryl Inniss (LightCounting) - "How AI Will Shape the Connectivity Hardware Market in the Coming Years?"
• 14:15 - 14:30 - Binbin Guan (OpenAI) - "AI Scale-Up Networks: Requirements for Reliable, High-Bandwidth-Density Interconnects "
• 14:30 - 14:45 - Mark Filer (Oracle) - "Photonic interconnects for modern AI superclusters"
• 14:45 - 15:00 - Georgios Zervas (Oriole Networks) - "Optical switching solutions for data center networks in the AI era"
• 15:00 - 15:15 - Ashkan Seyedi (NVIDIA) - "The Path for Co-Packaged Optics in the AI Ecosystem: Unlocking Advantages Over Pluggable Transceivers for Next-Generation Connectivity"
• 15:15 - 15:30 - All Panelists. Reversed Round Table & Audience Q&A (Session 2 speakers are invited to ask questions to Session 1 speakers, followed by open audience questions)
• 15:30 - 16:00 | Coffee Break

SESSION 2 (16:00 – 17:30): Signal Processing Solutions for AI connectivity
Format: 15 minutes per speaker (Presentation + quick Q&A), followed by a final round table.
• 16:00 - 16:15 - Lenin Patra (Marvell) - "Next-generation DSP trends for the AI ecosystem"
• 16:15 - 16:30 - Kim Roberts (Ciena) - "Future role of coherent technology for data-centers applications"
• 16:30 - 16:45 - Timo Pfau (Acacia) - "Breaking Into PAM4: how to differentiate in a competitive PAM4 DSP market?"
• 16:45 - 17:00 - Bilal Syed (Nokia) - "Evolution of Coherent DSP to Meet the Evolving Needs of the AI Supercycle"
• 17:00 - 17:15 - Yuki Yoshida (NICT) - "Can Photonic Signal Processing Simplify DSP?: Breaking the Fiber Dispersion Barrier in IM/DD"
• 17:15 - 17:30 - All Panelists. Reversed Round Table & Audience Q&A (Session 1 speakers are invited to ask questions to Session 2 speakers, followed by open audience questions)

Abstract:

 

Abstract:

The rapid growth of AI-driven applications demands a high-performance, scalable, and flexible infrastructure spanning all network segments: data center interconnection, (intra-)data center networks, and data center access. How will those 3 segments architecturally and operationally evolve, and possibly converge, to satisfy the new requirements incurred by AI workloads?

Part 1: Standards (intro) + Operators
1. Glenn Parsons, Ericsson - “ITU-T vision on 2030 optical networks”
2. Sina Fazel, OVH - “AI-Driven Traffic Evolution in the Optical Backbone: OVHcloud's Fibre Constrained Architecture”
3. Yuyang Liu, China Telecom - “End-to-End Optimized Optical Networks for AI Infrastructure: An Operator Perspective.”
4. Giuseppe Rizzelli, Meta - “Rings: Collapsing the DCN/DCI Boundary to Scale AI Regions”
5. Russell Davey, BT - “BT Optical Networks for AI”

Part 2: Standards (intro) + Vendors, non-industry
1. Hideki Nishizawa, NTT - ”Towards AI-Native Infrastructure with Optical Network Digital Twins”
2. Nokia: Annalisa Morea - “How to build efficient optical networks for AI using domain intelligence?”
3. Hongchen Yu, Huawei - “Integrated Computing-Network Design for AI-DC”
4. Robert Keys, Ciena - “Building the Optical Networks AI Actually Wants”
5. Ricard Vilalta, CTTC - “The Interconnected Edge: Networking strategies for Telco AI Cloud”

Abstract:

Hollow-core fibers (HCFs) promise a step change in optical communications by enabling unrepeatered transmission beyond the limits of silica-core fiber. This workshop examines the technical breakthroughs required to reach ~1000 km unrepeatered links and evaluates the potential impact on terrestrial and submarine network architectures. Participants will gain insights from leading experts across fiber design, amplifiers, systems, and DSP innovations.

Abstract:

The evolution toward 6G demands more than incremental improvements — it requires rethinking how radio, optical, and data systems work together at the network edge. This workshop introduces the concept of confluent networks, where heterogeneous signals integrate natively end-to-end to meet the ultra-high data rates, low latency, and resilience requirements of tomorrow's applications. Through a mix of academic and industry perspectives, we critically examine the technologies, architectures, and open challenges that will define the path from today's converged networks to true confluence.

Abstract:

The first VHSP Supplement was agreed by the ITU-T in October 2025 and the ITU-T is continuing to evaluate candidate technologies for next-generation PON systems. Recently, hybrid DD/coherent architectures - combining direct and coherent detection aspects within the same system - have emerged as an interesting but under-studied option compared to the established pure IMDD and pure coherent approaches. This workshop will bring together proponents of hybrid, IMDD-only, and coherent-only solutions to create a lively and technically substantive debate.

Session 1 (14:00)
* Shan Wey (Verizon) - The Three Ws of VHSP: Why?, What?, and When?
* Claudio Rodrigues (Altice Labs) - Hybrid Solutions for VHSP: A Practical Engineering Perspective
* Kenneth Jackson (Sumitomo Electric) - Leveraging Data-Center Optical Sources for VHSP PON: Opportunities for Coherent-Lite and Hybrid Architectures
* Noriaki Kaneda (Coherent) - Can VHSP hybrid solutions benefit from developments in the coherent pluggable eco-system?
* Sebastian Randel (KIT) - Challenges and Possibilities of Hybrid Coherent PONs
* Jose Galan (MaxLinear) - DSP considerations for coherent, IMDD and hybrid approaches in VHSP systems

Session 2 (16:00)
* Philippe Chanclou (Orange) - An operator's perspective on the needs and approaches for VHSP
* Vincent Houtsma (Nokia) - Can VHSP be still fully IM-DD based?
* Giuseppe Rizzelli (PoliTo) - Digital Chromatic Dispersion Pre-Compensation for VHSP
* Ryo Koma (NTT) - Single-Sideband Solutions for CD Penalty Mitigation in the Era of VHSP and 50G-TWDM PONs
* Giuseppe Talli (Huawei) - Pushing Direct Detection: Limits and Workarounds for VHSP
* Martin Kuipers (Adtran) - 200G PON: The next territory for coherent technology

Abstract:

This workshop will explore the future of optical communication channels, debating whether the trend towards fast narrow channels can continue indefinitely or if a shift towards slower, wider channels will become dominant. We will discuss the technical and economic factors influencing this evolution, including advancements in modulation formats, signal processing, and the changing demands of data traffic. Participants will gain insights into the potential trajectories of channel development and their implications for network design and performance.

Abstract:

Telecom fiber networks are emerging as large-scale sensors enabling detection of earthquakes, deep-ocean tsunamis and microseismic activity. This workshop brings together photonics engineers and geoscientists to examine the suitability of distributed acoustic and polarization-based sensing for early warning, event localization and industrial monitoring applications such as carbon capture and storage. The session will critically assess the realistic capabilities and limitations of using existing telecom infrastructure for seismic monitoring.

What can be detected today and where to go tomorrow?
14:00-14:05	Chair's introduction
14:05-14:17	Antonio Mecozzi, “Opening a New Window on Earth Dynamics: Microhertz Polarization Sensing with Submarine Cables,” University of L’Aquila, Italy
14:17-14:29	Andrè Herrero, “From Sensing to Services: Telecom Networks as Multi-Scale Monitoring Infrastructures,” Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, INGV, Italy
14:29-14:41	Mikael Mazur, “Telecom Fibers as Geophysical Sensors: Hype, Reality, and Missing Links,” Nokia Bell Labs, USA
14:41-14:53	Martin Landrø, “Pushing the limits for DAS – from earthquake sensing to detection of silent whales,” Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway
14:53-15:05	Ezra Ip, “Sensing earthquakes, ships and other things using submarine cables,” NEC Laboratories America, Inc., USA
15:05-15:30	Panel discussion
15:30-16:00	30 min break
Can dense but lower-sensitivity technologies outperform sparse high-performance sensing systems? How far can we push the technologies?
16:00-16:05	Chair's introduction
16:05-16:17	Emanuele Virgillito, “Multi-tech fiber sensing testbed exploiting FTTH network in Campi Flegrei,” Politecnico di Torino, Italy
16:17-16:29	Jan Kristooer Brenne, “Adoption of DAS for full-resolution geophysical monitoring,” Alcatel Submarine Networks, Norway
16:29-16:41	Rajiv Boddeda, “A system design perspective on distributed acoustic sensing for geophysical events: trade-offs and limits,” Nokia Bell Labs, France
16:41-16:53	Yaxi YAN, “Digital Signal Processing for Extracting Weak Vibration Signatures in Telecom-Fiber Distributed Acoustic Sensing,” Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
16:53-17:05	Aleksandra Kaszubowska, “Sensing with Light: How to Architect Networks That See and Communicate?” Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
17:05-17:30	Panel discussion

Abstract:

For decades, single-mode fibre (SMF) has been the backbone of global optical communication networks. Emerging technologies — including hollow-core fibre, free-space optical links, and space-division multiplexing (SDM) — are now reshaping this landscape. This workshop will explore how these technologies can be deployed, how they will coexist with legacy SMF infrastructure, and the technical, economic, and standardisation challenges involved in building unified heterogeneous networks.

The session will examine questions such as:

• How can new fibre and free-space technologies be integrated into existing network topologies?
• Which deployment scenarios (long-haul, metro, access, data-centre interconnects) are likely to adopt them first?
• What challenges arise in interoperability, cost, scalability, and network management?

Speakers:

Topic	Technology Proponent	Industry View
HCF	Greg Jasion (UoS)	Zimu Zhu (Relativity Networks)
SDM	Chigo Okonkwo (TU/e)	Robert Keys (Ciena)
FSO	Nourdin Kaai (Aircision)	Devin Brinkley (Tarra)
SMF	Oleg Sinkin (Nokia)	Ali Mefleh (KPN)

Event	Time (Hrs:Minutes)
Introduction	14.00-14.05
First Four Speakers (HCF+SDM)	14.05-14.57
Panel Q&A with Audience	14.57-15.12
Round 1 Weakest “Communication” Link	15.12-15.24
Summarise and Set Scene for after Coffee Break	15.24-15.29
COFFEE BREAK	15.30-16.00
Introduction 2nd Half	16.00-16.05
Next Four Speakers (FSO+SMF)	16.05-16.57
Panel Q&A with Audience	16.57-17.12
Round 2 Weakest “Communication” Link	17.12-17.24
Concluding Remarks & Thanks	17.24-17.29