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UK communications regulator Ofcom set out its strategy early for dealing with the coronavirus outbreak, in terms of helping consumers and businesses adapt their living and working practices, and supporting ‘key’ telecoms workers. Te regulator acknowledged in a statement
that the pandemic will see its sectors play a vital role in supporting society, and ensuring that people remain connected. It iterated that telecoms providers are working to ensure resilience across landline, broadband and mobile services as the demands on networks increase, as well as prioritising access to safety-of-life communications systems. Ofcom stated that it is working with the
government to support the telecoms providers doing their bit in the current situation (such as removing data caps), against a backdrop of ‘operational and financial challenges.’ Because of the work undertaken by providers, a number of people in the sector have been deemed key workers by government, such as telecoms engineers and broadcasters. Te statement said: ‘Telecoms providers are
working together to monitor traffic on their networks and are keeping us informed of the measures they are taking to manage congestion effectively. We welcome the measures taken by content providers and streaming services to adapt their services where possible, so that loads on
RESEARCHERS DEMO REDUCED ATTENUATION IN HOLLOW-CORE FIBRE BY FACTOR OF 10
Researchers at the Zepler Institute for Photonics and Nanoelectronics at the University of Southampton have demonstrated significantly improved hollow-core fibre performance. Tey believe this is the next step on this technology’s path to eclipsing current optical fibres. Te latest findings were presented recently in San Diego at the annual OFC conference and exhibition. Te technology is being advanced in the
Zepler Institute’s Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC). It is believed able to reach lower loss and higher data transmission capacity than all-solid glass fibres, with current research accelerating models toward this peak performance. Te newest hollow-core fibres atenuate the light traveling through it by 50
4 FiBRE SYSTEMS n Issue 27 n Spring 2020
per cent less than the previous record, said the researchers. Te previous record was reported just six months ago. Te maximum transmission length at which data can be relayed in such revolutionary fibres has also doubled. Tanks to a design proposed at the ORC,
in the space of 18 months the atenuation in data-transmiting hollow-core fibres has been reduced by more than a factor of 10, from 3.5dB/km to only 0.28dB/km within a factor of two of the atenuation of conventional all- glass fibre technology. At the same time, the maximum transmission distance at which large bandwidth data streams can be transmited through an air-core has been improved by more than 10 times, from 75 to 750km. Professor Francesco Poleti, head of the
ORC’s hollow core fibre group, explained: ‘Transmiting light in an air core rather than a glass core presents many advantages which could revolutionise optical communications as we know them. Tese latest results further reduce the performance gap between hollow core fibre and mainstream optical fibre technology, and the whole team is really excited by the prospect of the additional significant improvements that seem possible, according to modelling.’ Te improvements in atenuation and
transmission distance demonstrated could open up the possibility to target longer reach distances, edging close to the 1,000km span of typical long-distance, long-haul terrestrial data transmission links.
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networks are spread across the day and peaks in traffic are reduced. We will continue to work closely with the government and industry to help support network resilience in the coming weeks.’ Tis will involve a revision to Ofcom’s Plan of
Work for 2020/21 and provide a revised timetable of work. With immediate effect, however, the industry watchdog is suspending all existing consultation deadlines and information requests and puting on hold new consultations, decisions and information requests. ‘We understand
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OFCOM PRAISES TELECOMS OPERATORS AMIDST COVID-19 CRISIS
that the implementation of new obligations may need to be delayed,’ said the statement. ‘Specifically, we are discussing with government the implementation deadlines of the European Electronic Communications Code.’ Ofcom acknowledged that the current situation
has served to demonstrate just how critical investment in fibre and 5G connections is and will remain. ‘Our review on promoting investment and competition in fibre networks and the 5G auction are important building blocks for this,’ it said.
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