Skip to Content
Uncategorized

Finer Networking

The more finely you can slice the optical spectrum into distinct signal-carrying channels, the more data you can send through an optical fiber. That’s the idea behind wavelength division multiplexing, which has brought tremendous data-carrying capacity to fiber-optic communications systems. Now Columbia, MD-based Essex has developed a variation on this technology designed to improve the lower-capacity optical networks extending from intercity fiber backbones into metropolitan areas. Essex’s “Hyperfine” technology subdivides each optical channel into 50 to 100 subchannels, separated by less than a hundredth of a nanometer. So far, Essex has demonstrated this spacing over a wavelength band of about 0.1 nanometers, but the company plans to demonstrate an industry-standard 0.4-nanometer version early this year. In addition to providing better performance over existing fiber, the company claims the technology can better “tune” or control each of these channels, providing more flexible deployment of optical lines to specific corporate customers.

Keep Reading

Most Popular

Geoffrey Hinton tells us why he’s now scared of the tech he helped build

“I have suddenly switched my views on whether these things are going to be more intelligent than us.”

Meet the people who use Notion to plan their whole lives

The workplace tool’s appeal extends far beyond organizing work projects. Many users find it’s just as useful for managing their free time.

Learning to code isn’t enough

Historically, learn-to-code efforts have provided opportunities for the few, but new efforts are aiming to be inclusive.

Deep learning pioneer Geoffrey Hinton has quit Google

Hinton will be speaking at EmTech Digital on Wednesday.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.