Next generation access network will require flexible deployment, large backbone capacity, upgrade ability, scalable to user number and demand, and economically feasible. One example is to provide ubiquitous, blanketed broadband access service in metropolitan area. Such requirements are intrinsically impossible to meet if the network is designed with any single access technology. On the other hand, a hybrid optical and wireless access network would combine high optical capacity and flexible wireless deployment that is economic and scalable.
To meet the aforementioned challenges, Stanford Photonics and Networking Research Laboratory (PNRL) and Wireless Communication Research Group will jointly investigate the Grid Reconfigurable Optical and Wireless Network (GROW-Net). GROW-Net will utilize dark, urban optical grid network to provide the essential bandwidth capacity while efficiently leveraging the flexibility and economic advantage in the wireless mesh network. The proposed body of work includes:
- Hybrid Network Architecture: Integrated and scalable optical grid and wireless mesh network.
- Routing and Network Interface: Novel optical grid routing + adaptive wireless routing and interface bridiging protocols.
- System and Device: Novel reconfigurable wavelength router and hybrid traffic aggregation grid.
- Simulation Development: High-fidelity wireless mesh emulation and realistic urban channel modeling.
- Performance Evaluation and Testbed: Integrated optical and wireless testbed to cultivate research results.
This collaboration project will include but not limited to the above research areas. In general, the research effort aims to bring economic and ubiquitous broadband access link to all residences in metropolitan and/or wider areas.
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