Title
Next-Generation Telecom Switch

CoPED ID
a52ff6fc-344a-4864-a577-719f0908caaa

Status
Closed


Value
£109,674

Start Date
Sept. 30, 2020

End Date
Dec. 31, 2020

Description

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ROADMap Systems is a global leader in high-capacity optical telecom switching technology. In this project ROADMap will conduct a feasibility study in partnership a multinational telecom systems vendor. This study will identify the best designs for a next-generation high-capacity optical switch based on ROADMap's novel technology platform. This optical switch will transform the data capacity of current and next-generation telecom networks. This will enable substantial bandwidth increases for business and domestic subscribers, providing widespread Gigabit internet services while simultaneously lowering subscription costs. The COVID 19 pandemic has illustrated that the broad availability of high-bandwidth internet is essential for the continued function of the UK and global economies under lockdown restrictions. Business, social and leisure services are moving increasingly online. This trend has already shown significant environmental benefits, reducing the carbon emissions and localised pollutants produced by commuting and leisure travel. Improving the performance and availability of high-speed internet access will be essential to support the economic recovery, while simultaneously maintaining and further enhancing the environmental benefits of this societal transformation. ROADMap was spun out of the University of Cambridge in 2014, to commercialise the optical switching technology developed in the Department of Engineering. The company will leverage its proprietary technology in high-capacity optical switching together with its established relationships with telecom network operators, to design a product that will transform the optical network capacity in the near term. ROADMap has a track record of successfully delivering advanced optical switching technology platforms, and will now work with end users to develop a product to match the current needs of the market. The project will apply ROADMap's proprietary two-dimensional beam-steering technology. This uses liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCoS) microdisplays to steer free-space optical beams in two-dimensions, providing greater capacity than the state-of-the-art one-dimensional steering. ROADMap will also leverage their unique experience with new 4k-resolution LCoS microdisplays. These provide significantly greater switching capacity than the current 1080p-resolution microdisplays, but have not yet been successfully integrated into a telecom switching product. Combining these two technologies will allow ROADMap to design optical switches with an order-of-magnitude greater capacity than existing products. In turn this will significantly decrease the cost, size and power consumption for each unit of bandwidth switching capacity. This will be of enormous significance in enabling a high-capacity network, capable of fully supporting Gigabit landline and 5G mobile services.

Stephen Heeks PM_PER

Subjects by relevance
  1. Telecommunications technology
  2. Technology
  3. Data communications networks
  4. Product development
  5. Future
  6. Mobile services
  7. Information networks
  8. Data communications
  9. Technological development

Extracted key phrases
  1. Capacity optical telecom switching technology
  2. Capacity optical switch
  3. Optical network capacity
  4. Advanced optical switching technology platform
  5. Bandwidth switching capacity
  6. Great switching capacity
  7. ROADMap system
  8. Capacity network
  9. Multinational telecom system vendor
  10. Magnitude great capacity
  11. Generation telecom network
  12. Generation Telecom Switch
  13. Project ROADMap
  14. Datum capacity
  15. Space optical beam

Related Pages

UKRI project entry

UK Project Locations