NeTS-NBD: Grid Reconfigurable Optical and Wireless Network (GROW Net)

Stanford University, Stanford CA

Investigators

Abstract

0627085 Kazovksy This project develops a hybrid optical and wireless access network, which combines advantages of both networks the high capacity provisioned by optical network, and the flexibility and cost-effectiveness provisioned by wireless mesh network. The network architecture consists of optical grid and wireless mesh networks for broadband access. The optical grid network provides broadband and efficient backhauling, enabled by reconfigurable optical grid nodes and hierarchical loop routing algorithms, so that the backhauling network is highly adaptive to real time traffic demand. The wireless mesh network, which penetrates into users' neighborhood, is designed to facilitate cost-effective, ubiquitous links in the last/first hundreds of feet, and extend the wireless coverage without sacrificing system bandwidth. A hybrid optical/wireless routing algorithm is developed and a high-performance RF over fiber in sub-carrier multiplex optical channels is built to improve the system performance. A novel reconfigurable grid node technology is developed for flexible and efficient traffic routing in the optical grid network. The research effort includes routing algorithm design, device design and implementation, optical and wireless subsystem design, and hybrid network testbed implementation and performance evaluation. Broader Impact: The guiding principle of this project is to build a prototype broadband access network for anyone, anywhere, anytime and any media. By providing a cost-effective and ubiquitous broadband link to many end-users, this work could facilitate the way people communicate, interact and work. If successful, the hybrid optical/wireless approach in this project could influence the way future access network are designed.