OFC 2019 returns to San Diego, California to set the stage as the single-most important annual event in optical communications. More than 15,000 executives, technical experts, academia, media and analysts converge to discuss the latest optical innovations for future networking growth segments, including: data center connectivity, 5G and Internet of Things (IoT), next-generation optical access and open networking innovation.
The global technology industry depends on the optical innovations, products, technology and research unveiled at OFC—it is where to find the technology behind the technology powering our communications networks today.
Taking place 3-7 March 2019 at the San Diego Convention Center, OFC attracts attendees from more than 65 countries and over 700 exhibitors from leading global companies. OFC hosts thousands of conference sessions and programming spanning more than just optics – including in-depth coverage of photonic integrated circuits, optical networking, advanced digital-signal processing, quantum optics, emerging application of optics in 5G, new computing, data center infrastructure and so much more.
Attendees can choose from sessions that provide expert insight and real-world examples of topics ranging from the latest ground-breaking optical innovations, to data-center connectivity, to 5G-oriented optical networking, to the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in optical networks.
Anchoring the week-long business and technical conversations and product demos, are three industry innovators who will share their visions on open network innovation, the future of vehicular mobility and optical integration as a catalyst for higher data rates:
Dr. Alex Jinsung Choi, SVP Strategy & Technology Innovation, T-Laboratories Innovation, Deutsche Telekom AG, Germany
Dmitri Dolgov, Chief Technology Officer, Waymo, USA
Benny P. Mikkelsen, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Acacia Communications, USA
CONFERENCE PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS:
The five-day technical conference features 450+ peer-reviewed presentations and more than 180 invited and tutorial presentations, 10 workshops, 6 panels, 55 short courses plus show floor programming in three theaters. Additional technical programming throughout the week includes special symposia on 5G, photonics and network automation and the thought-provoking Rump Session.
OFC’s programming is focused on relating the most recent progress in research (near- and long-term) and technology, and is presented in a variety of formats, including one hour in-depth tutorials, interactive workshops, panel discussions, half-day short courses (separate fee required) and in-depth symposia on hot topics.
Conference programming located in the Show Floor theaters includes the Data Center Summit, Market Watch, Network Operator Summit and 15+ programs focused on industry growth segments.
This year’s Data Center Summit session will feature a keynote from Dave Temkin, Vice President of Networks, Netflix, USA. The panel presentation will debate the adoption and main similarities and differences in open transport architectures for Inter-Data Center, Metro and Long-Haul optical networks, and review the most important related innovations that enable the “open” optical transport evolution.
Market Watch is a three-day, six session series of panel discussions on the latest application topics and business issues in the field of optical communications, including the popular “State of the Industry – Analyst Panel.” Presentations and panel sessions feature esteemed guest speakers from industry, research and the investment community.
The one-day Network Operator Summit presents the inside perspective from service providers and network operators – their challenges, drivers and how their requirements may impact the future of the industry. This year’s Network Operator Summit Keynote will be given by Genia Wilbourn, Vice President of Network & Technology, Wireline Global Operations, Verizon Communication, USA.
Additional Show Floor programming includes business sessions on Intra- and Inter-Data Center Connectivity, Infrastructure Makeover and Networking, Machine Learning and Automation and more. In these sessions, hear from industry groups such as COBO, Ethernet Alliance, IEEE, OIF, ON2020, OpenConfig, TIP and others.
Returning to OFC 2019 is the interactive Lab Automation Hackathon. Technology leaders from Nokia Bell Labs, Acacia Communications and the Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden will hold an interactive session demonstrating how to use open source software to demonstrate the power of using Python to quickly get a lab experiment running and display the measurements in a browser.
EXHIBITOR HIGHLIGHTS:
With one of the largest exhibit floors in recent years, OFC 2019 will feature more than 700 exhibitors from leading global companies such as Ciena, Corning Incorporated, Cisco Systems, Fujitsu Optical Components, Huawei Technologies USA, Inphi, Juniper Networks, Lumentum, MACOM, Mitsubishi International, Nokia, VIAVI Solutions and more. Technologies on display include network and test equipment, optical transport systems and optical components, data center interconnects, fiber cables and specialty fiber manufacturers.
A number of multivendor interoperability demonstrations will be featured on the show floor: OIF will demo Common Electrical I/O(CEI)-112G, FlexE (Flex Ethernet) and 400ZR; and Ethernet Alliance will demo 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE), 25GbE, 50GbE, 100GbE and 400GbE technologies and solutions. Other demonstrations include the Open ROADM MSA SDN and 100G Coherent Transceivers.
MEDIA REGISTRATION: Media/analyst registration for OFC 2019 can be accessed online. Further information is available on the event website at OFC, including travel details.
About OFC
The Optical Fiber Conference and Exhibition (OFC) is the largest global 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 more than 700 companies, and high impact peer-reviewed research that, combined, showcase the trends and pulse of the entire optical networking and communications industry. OFC is managed by The Optical Society (OSA) and co-sponsored by OSA, the IEEE Communications Society (IEEE/ComSoc), and the IEEE Photonics Society. OFC 2019 will be held from 3-7 March 2019 at the San Diego Convention Center, California, USA.