It used sunlight as the source of its optical
beam, making it unreliable because of its susceptibility to weather conditions.
Despite early attempts to develop optical wireless, the technology was in no position
to compete with RF wireless technology, which served the needs of the time with much
more reliability. In fact, optical wireless technology remained mostly dormant until
recently when the need for capacity grew significantly enough that its benefits over RF
wireless could be brought to fruition.
There have been many forms of modern optical wireless communication technology,
including signaling devices such as remote controls and communication technology
such as IrDA. However, the optical wireless communication technology discussed in
this chapter is a technology that can be used to transfer large volumes of data over
extended periods of time as part of a reliable network infrastructure. This technology
is also commonly referred to as Free Space Optics (FSO) technology. Throughout the remainder
of this chapter, the terms FSO and optical wireless are used interchangeably.
The Technology
Optical wireless technology consists of a method for data transmission and reception
using light signals over free space.
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