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About the Wireless Optical/Radio Terabit Communications (WORTECS) Project at the Optical Wireless Communications Group, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford

Wireless Optical/Radio Terabit Communications (WORTECS)

In the framework of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) H2020* European call for projects, the proposed research project WORTECS (Wireless Optical/Radio TErabit CommunicationS) was accepted for funding and is closed by 31th of October 2020. The final review took place by virtual event on December 8th, 2020.

The challenge of WORTECS was to propose “scientific and technology advances for novel use of the spectrum potential, de-risking technological building blocks at frequencies above 90 Ghz up to Thz communications backed by innovative usage scenarios”, for instance, Virtual Reality (VR). It will also “address visible light communications and develop radically new approaches for spectrum efficiency” (https://wortecs.eurestools.eu/ ).

WORTECS aims to offer:

  • Optical Wireless Communication (OWC) device with Gigabit per second (Gbps) data rate target.
  • Radio 240 GHz Proof of Concept with several Gigabit per second (Gbps) throughput
  • New wireless communication prototype with Fiber Wireless Fiber (FiWi) Proof of Concep.
  • Heterogeneous wireless Network architecture studies with new architectures and protocols for routing, latency and caching.
  • WORTECS SaaS (Software as a Service) with a channel simulation tool for beyond 60 GHz RF and optical spectrum.
  • New Virtual Reality content HDMI/Ethernet Gbps converter with low latency video compression/decompression features.
  • New prototype by design of a hybrid RF and OWC system capable to process multiple baseband signals at the same time.

Last but not least, the customer view was taken into account through interviews, questionnaires or field tests. The purpose is to provide a Virtual Reality user-friendly interface with a solution including terabit/s data rate, reduced latency and multi-user environment associated with an accurate tracking. With a 3 million euro budget, WORTECS consortium brings together several European industrial and institutes players in this market (Orange, Oledcomm and B-Com from France, IHP Microelectronics from Germany, pureLiFi from United Kingdom) as well as academics recognized in this area (University of Oxford from United Kingdom and University of Las Palmas from Spain).

The 7 prototypes developed within WORTECS project should have been integrated (all in one) in order to propose a global multi-techno wireless communication solution that can reach Tbps (Terabits per second) with an additional device (HetNet) for quickly managing these links in case of failure of one of them. The Covid19 situation has stopped this objective but building blocks are operational (https://www.wortecs.com/program ) and some of them have or will have in the coming weeks or months a commercial implementation or a deepening under a new project.