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Credit: Optica
SAN DIEGO—A wave of innovation is hitting California as the Optical Fiber Communications Conference and Exhibition (OFC) gears up to showcase the latest breakthroughs in optical communications and networking.
OFC will take place at the San Diego Convention Center from 24 to 28 March 2024 drawing industry leaders, experts, academia, media, analysts and students from around the world to explore the latest in optical technology.
Innovative advancements in industrial technologies, as well as research in 800ZR, Coherent PON, Linear Pluggable Optics (LPO), multicore fiber, AI and the data center and quantum networking are among the optical technologies that will be showcased on the exhibition floor and during educational and technical sessions during the premier conference and exhibition. The exhibition will be held from 26 to 28 March.
Leading the charge in discussions is Berkeley, California’s own Inder Monga one of OFC's plenary speakers with his talk “Networking Alchemy: Transforming Science Through Connectivity.” Monga, based in the heart of California's innovation hub, directs the Scientific Networking Division at Berkeley Lab and serves as the Executive Director for Energy Sciences Network (ESnet), powering the future of high-performance networking. Other speakers in the plenary program are Anita Döhler, CEO, NGMN Alliance and David Richardson, Partner Researcher, Microsoft. The plenary program is scheduled for Tuesday, 26 March 2024, 08:00-10:00 UTC -07:00.
Exhibition Highlights
More than 620 exhibitors from 74 countries will fill OFC’s exhibition halls to unveil innovations, including: Acacia, now part of Cisco; AC Photonics, Inc.; Amphenol; ATOP Corporation; AUREA Technology; CIENA Corporation; Cisco Systems, Inc.; Corning Incorporated; Dimension Technology Co., Ltd.; Hyper Photonix Ltd.; Infinera; LIGENTEC; OZ Optics Limited; PROFIBER (VIETNAM) INDUSTRY LTD BRANCH; Samtec, Inc.; Santec USA Corporation; SANWA Technologies, Inc.; Thorlabs; US Conec, Ltd.; and VPIphotonics, among others.
Exhibitors with a local California presence include: Arista Networks, Ayar Labs, CREDO, DiCon Fiberoptics Inc., Keysight Technologies, Kyocera International Inc, Marvell, Semtech Corporation, Source Photonics and Synopsys, Inc. A complete list of exhibiting companies and the floorplan can be found here.
“Our projected in-person participation levels are the highest they have been in recent years, reflecting OFC’s status as the premier platform for industry innovation,” said OFC General Chairs Chris Fludger of Infinera, Roland Ryf of Nokia Bell Labs, and Dimitra Simeonidou of the University of Bristol, UK. “Center stage is OFCnet, a live network collaboration between academia and industry, spotlighting the latest tech straight from the labs to the industry forefront.”
OFCnet Brings California Flavor
At the OFCnet booth (#923), attendees can explore 12 live demo kiosks, with eight showcasing quantum technology advancements. Additionally, the program includes an Educational Session track featuring seven panels covering topics such as “Telecom Fiber Networks as the Core of the Next Generation TerraScope,” “Quantum Key Distribution Demonstrations,” “Quantum Networking Evolution,” “Quantum Network Advancements,” “Software Define Infrastructures,” “Optical Benchmark” and “Optical Infrastructures and Services.”
This year’s participants include Anritsu; AUREA; CESnet/CzechLight; Ciena/FABRIC/SDSC; Ciena/ID Quantique; Ciena/Toshiba; F5; ICAIR/Northwestern University; Internet2; NEC/Verizon/OFS; Nokia/ID Quantique; NTT Labs; Nucrypt/Quantum Opus; Open ROADM MSA; QuNett/University of Maryland; Qunnect; QTI; University of Amsterdam; and University of Bristol.
OFCnet services and equipment are provided by California’s CENIC, Lumen and San Diego Supercomputer Center as well as Ciena, Corning, ESnet, Exfo, F5, Huber +Suhn, Internet2, NOKIA, Ribbon and Utah Education and Telehealth Network (UETN) and Viavi.
OFC Special Events
The OFC show floor will host several special events this year, including:
- Student Party
Monday, 25 March, 19:00 – 21:00
CoinOp Game Bar Gaslamp
The OFC Student Party allows students to meet and network in a fun and relaxed environment.
- OFC Fun Run
Wednesday, 27 March, 06:00-07:00
Bottom of San Diego Convention Center Stairs (front entrance)
Meet up for an early morning, 3-mile run or walk with fellow OFC colleagues.
A complete listing of special events can be found here.
Registration: This year’s conference will continue to offer a hybrid format, accommodating both in-person and virtual participation to cater to the diverse needs of a global audience. Registration is now open for the event.
Media Registration Information: Credentialed media and analysts who wish to cover OFC can find registration and other essential information in the OFC media room.
About OFC
The 2024 Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition (OFC) is the premier conference and exhibition for optical communications and networking professionals. For nearly 50 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 that are shaping the entire optical networking and communications industry. OFC is co-sponsored by the IEEE Communications Society (IEEE/ComSoc) and the IEEE Photonics Society and co-sponsored and managed by Optica (formerly OSA). OFC in 2024 will be presented in a hybrid format with in-person and virtual components and will take place 24-28 March 2024 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California, USA.
Learn more and engage on LinkedIn, follow @OFCConference on X (formerly Twitter) and watch highlights on OFC YouTube.