A July 2023 report by Statista predicts the number of connected devices will escalate to 17.08 billion in 2024, from 15.14 billion in 2023. This digital expansion is set to generate a colossal volume of data, with a forecasted 157 zettabytes in 2024. According to an IDC report, 20% of this data will be created at the edge – a statistic that underscores the growing significance of edge computing.
Researchers say a new discovery on a U.S. Army project for optoelectronic devices could help make optical fiber communications more energy efficient. A new design of optical devices radiate light in a single direction. This single-sided radiation channel for light can be used in a wide array of optoelectronic applications to reduce energy loss in optical fiber networks and data centers. The journal Nature published the findings. Light tends to flow in optical fibers along one direction, like water flows through a pipe. On-chip couplers are used to connect fibers to chips, where light signals are generated, amplified, or detected. While most light going through the coupler continues through to the fiber, some of the light travels in the opposite direction, leaking out. A large part of energy consumption in data traffic is due to this radiation loss.
Research from Frost & Sullivan reveals that with telecommunication service providers and cable television multiple system operators (MSO) continuing their fiber build-outs, the market for fiber optic test equipment (FOTE) is expected to grow from $781.3 million in 2018 to $1.31 billion in 2025. The lack of fiber expertise among access network technicians and the sheer volume of fiber deployments required in a short time will enable innovative FOTE manufacturers to differentiate themselves in the market.
