FSO: FREE SPACE OPTICS Transmitter/Receiver Pairs Global Market Forecast

Free Space Optics or Optical Wireless networks are trending toward longer distances and faster data-rates. As the cost and other obstacles of deploying fiber optic cables continues to increase, the product and deployment opportunities for FSO improves. As communication managers face the timely delays and cost comparison of utilizing a telecommunication leased-line versus the implementation of a FSO system, the flexibility of the FSO product-area proves to be an attractive alternative. However, are the communication managers willing to consider FSO as the primary and permanent solution or just a quick and temporary solution? And what about RF wireless, can FSO compete and take market share? How concerned are end-customers regarding beam security, eye safety, licensing concerns, atmospheric conditions or a flock of birds interfering with the link performance? Can FSO vendors even "get-in-the-door" to make their pitch, based on customer concerns? As data rates push up into the multi-gigabit region and as optical communication use increases, the emphasis on low-cost, quickly deployed system solutions are encouraging to the FSO prospects.

The trends toward increasing mid-span access and the number of high-speed links will drive continuing growth of wire-lines alternatives, such as FSO. An expanding share of optical wireless solutions will installed, encouraging more vendor competition and technology advancements. Price-points (ASPs), sales/distribution strategy and system installer agreements will prove to be extremely important competitive concerns.

This study defines these trends, and forecasts the resulting global Total Available Market (TAM) of COMMERCIAL (non-military applications) free space optical communication transmitter/receiver system equipment. The 2002-2007 forecast of global production and consumption (deployment) is presented for each significant FSO transmitter/receiver (T/R) system by capability/performance (distance and data-rate throughput/Protocol), plus summaries. The forecast for each selected FSO product, in turn, is segmented into each region (North America, Europe, Asia/Pacific Rim, Rest of World). The information is presented in easy-to-follow illustrations and text. The reasons for the forecasted trends are discussed. Technology trends are presented.

Data Base Structure: Global FSO Transmitter/Receiver (T/R) System Categories. The forecasts present the Value ($, Million), Quantity (QTY/k), and Average Price ($/each) for the following FSO systems, by Each Region, plus Global Summary:

Distance/Meters, by Throughput/Mbps

• <500 meters
  • >100-1000 Mbps
  • >1000 Mbps
• 500 - 1500 meters
  • >100-1000 Mbps
  • >1000 Mbps
• >1500 - 3000 meters
  • >100-1000 Mbps
  • >1000 Mbps
• >3000 meters
  • >100-1000 Mbps
  • >1000 Mbps