OFC2020 hosted a live / virtual hybrid conference in an innovative way, bringing a new experience to registrants this year. Despite travel restrictions related to coronavirus (COVID-19), more than 90% of this year’s more than 700 technical demonstrations went smoothly. People from around the world in optical communications come together to exchange information and advance the field.

The new technologies and progress promoted by this year’s conference will lay the foundation for the industry’s next breakthrough in applications such as 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), data center internal and data center interconnect equipment, and decomposition.

  Live / Virtual Hybrid Conference

Obviously, coronavirus restrictions affect face-to-face meetings. The OFC technology project host, Shino Matsuo of NTT Device Technology Labs in Japan, David Plant of McGill University in Canada, and Jun Shan Wey of ZTE USA work tirelessly to ensure that registrants can still access and participate in OFC meetings.

Wey, Plant, and Matsuo said: “OFC 2020 proves that large-scale conferences can use fiber-optic communication technology developed by experts in this field to attract global participants.” “OFC’s research and innovation make OFC 2020 an excellent opportunity for virtual conference experiments.”

Plenary Session

At this year’s Plenary Session, three respected technology and business leaders in the field provided important insights. Professor David Payne, director of the Optoelectronics Research Centre at the University of Southampton in the UK, discussed the role of silica in the future of optical communications, emphasizing the potential of silica. Dr. Bi Qi, Chief Technology Officer of China Telecom Beijing Research Institute and President of China Telecom Technology Innovation Center, introduced the lessons learned from China Telecom’s 5G deployment and stated that equipment vendors need to consider how to use an integrated approach rather than an independent approach to help operators better processing system integration. Dr. Benno Willke, head of the research group at the Max Planck Institute for Gravity Physics in Germany, concluded the conference with a visionary speech and discussed plans for a third-generation gravity wave detector.

 Special Conference Programming

This year OFC held a commemorative event-“Celebrating 50 Years of Light-speed Connections”, to make everyone realize that in 1970, the combination of low-loss optical fiber and room temperature semiconductor laser changed global communication and realized. The importance of transcontinental and oceanic speed of light connections. Dr. David Welch, founder and chief innovation officer of Infinera, gave a keynote speech on a special program to let everyone know the recent developments in fiber optic communications.

Welch said: “Optical networks are essential for global connectivity and global communications, and they have absolutely changed our society and the world. Life is an activity between people. We may choose to use machines to promote a better life. I think the biggest contribution of optical networks is to expand the connection between people. ”

The theme of the newly opened Special Chairs’ Session this year is “Vision 2030: Bringing Optical Communications into the Next Decade”. Visionary speakers discussed past successes and upcoming innovations. The conference took this year as the symbol of the new decade, and outlined the forecast of the development of photonic integrated circuits, silicon / nano-photonics, photonic integrated circuits, submarine cables, and 5G optical transmission in the next ten years.

Exhibit

In terms of exhibitions, many traditional exhibiting companies and their customers are affected by the company’s travel ban, but there are still some exhibitors and sponsors who can participate and conduct business. In addition, several high-profile conferences were held in the pavilion, including the Data Center Summit, the Market Watch-State of the Industry Panel, and the Network Operator Summit. These meetings show important industry trends.