21 April 2021

Groundbreaking Innovations in Science and Technology in Key Industry Growth Segments Will Drive OFC 2021 Virtual Programming and Exhibition

Hundreds of virtual sessions will create a dynamic learning experience spanning the globe during one of the most anticipated events of the year

WASHINGTON – The 2021 Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition (OFC), the premier event in telecom and optical networking and communication, will present unparalleled technical and business programming representing the entire ecosystem—from research to marketplace, during its interactive, all-virtual event, 06 – 11 June 2021.

Executives, technical experts, academia, media and analysts will connect through an international, flexible schedule and dynamic virtual platform. This format allows registrants across time zones to learn, discuss and demonstrate innovations from optical and electrical components to systems and networks.

OFC’s comprehensive programming spanning six days will be presented virtually, covering recent progress in research (near- and long-term) and technology. Content presented live will also be recorded for on-demand viewing.

“OFC continues to engage its audience year over year by presenting sessions that provide breakthrough research, expert insight and real-world examples,” said Chongjin Xie, OFC General Chair, Alibaba Group, USA. “As a global community, we are embracing the opportunity to use the optical infrastructure and communication technology developed by experts in the field as a platform for universal collaboration of our participants.”

This year’s event features a plenary session, peer-reviewed presentations and nearly 100 invited speakers, four Symposia, three Special Sessions, 10 Workshops, seven Panels, 53 Short Courses plus business-focused programming. Topics include quantum communications and machine learning in terms of network operation and how optics supports machine learning and neuromorphic computing. Free space optical communications (FSO) technology will be the focus of several presentations in addition to photonic integration, spatial division multiplexing (SDM) and 5G.

PLENARY SPEAKERS

Plenary speakers Nancy Shemwell, COO, Trilogy Networks, USA; Young-Kai Chen, program manager, Microsystems Technology Office, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), USA; and Yiqun Cai, vice president, Alibaba Group, China will discuss edge cloud support and applications in rural territories, advances in photonics and artificial intelligence and the evolution of networking driven by cloud computing.

CONFERENCE PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS:

The virtual OFC technical program will span six days allowing speakers and participants to engage in a live, interactive format.

Special conference programming includes the Symposia, Panels, the Open Networking Summit and the Demo Zone.

• OFC will include four Symposia focused on industry growth segments:
  • Emerging Photonic Technologies and Architectures for Femtojoule per Bit Optical Networks
  • On the Edge:  MEC- based Network Architectures in Support of Enterprise Cloud
  • Quantum Information Science and Technology (QIST) in the Context of Optical Communications​
  • The Role of Machine Learning in Optical Systems and the Role of Optics in Machine Learning Systems 
• Panelists during the Open Networking Summit “Towards Converged Open Packet-optical Networks” session will present their views on network disaggregation and how it is driving the design of new devices and technologies and debate deployment strategies and challenges in open networking.
• OFC Panels provide an interactive learning environment on a variety of carefully curated topics from leading industry experts. This year’s topics include:
  • Deployment Challenges of 400G Optics and Beyond
  • THz Communication for Beyond 5G Networks
  • Challenges of Coherent Transponders Approaching the Shannon Limit
  • PON Disaggregation, from SDN Abstraction to Full Virtualization. Benefits, Obstacles and Trends
  • Advanced Laser Technologies in Post-100Gbaud Era
  • Pros and Cons of Low-margin Optical Networks
  • Is Optical Switching Finally Ready For Large-scale Deployment in Datacenters and Advanced Networks?
• The OFC Demo Zone will showcase live demonstrations of research projects and proof-of-concept implementations in the space of optical communication devices, systems, networks, including SDN/NFV as well as software tools/functions.

BUSINESS PROGRAMMING:

OFC’s vibrant business-focused programming will provide participants high-level overviews of hot topics and market trends. Sessions will address the state of the industry, emerging technologies and recommended courses of action to tackle even the toughest business challenges.

This year’s programming taking place 08 - 11 June 2021, includes Market Watch, Network Operator Summit and Data Center Summit and 25 other sessions.

• Spanning four days, the Market Watch program will feature seven panel discussions on the latest application topics and business issues in optical communications. Leading experts in their fields will participate in talks, including the much anticipated “State of the Industry” analyst panel.
• Service providers and network operators present their insider perspective during the Network Operator Summit. This year’s session will feature a keynote speaker and panels on 5G networks and the debate between hyper scale and co-location at the edge.
• This year’s Data Center Summit session will feature a keynote from Gaya Nagarajan, Director, Network Engineering, Facebook, USA, moderated by Loukas Paraschis, Infinera, USA. Two additional sessions will discuss what is next for Inter Data Center Interconnects (DCIs) and the next phase of the data center technology roadmap beyond 400G.
• Educational programs on the virtual show floor will cover market trends, new technologies and insight into the future. Hear from industry groups such as Ethernet Alliance, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute Industry Specification Group for F5G, IEEE, IEEE Future Directions, OIF, Open Eye and OpenROADM.

MEDIA REGISTRATION: Media/analyst registration for OFC can be accessed online.

The OFC 2021 Virtual Exhibition will feature an enhanced experience providing the greatest opportunity for exhibitors to connect with customers and demonstrate new products and solutions. View the OFC website for upcoming announcements on registration, schedule updates and more.

About OFC

The 2021 Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition (OFC) is the premier conference and exhibition for optical communications and networking professionals. For more than 40 years, OFC has drawn attendees from all corners of the globe to meet and greet, teach and learn, make connections and move business forward. OFC includes dynamic business programming, an exhibition of global companies and high impact peer-reviewed research that, combined, showcase the trends and pulse of the entire optical networking and communications industry. OFC is co-sponsored by IEEE Communications Society (IEEE/ComSoc), IEEE Photonics Society, The Optical Society (OSA) and managed by OSA. OFC 2021, an all-virtual event, will take place 06 – 11 June 2021. Follow @OFCConference, learn more at OFC Community LinkedIn, and watch highlights on OFC YouTube.

media@ofcconference.org