Towards seamless Fiber-Wireless (FiWi) access networks: Convergence and challenges

Traditionally, wireless and optical fiber networks have been designed separately from each other. Wireless networks aimed at meeting specific service requirements while coping with particular transmission impairments and optimizing the utilization of the system resources to ensure cost-effectiveness and satisfaction for the end user. In optical networks, on the other hand, research efforts rather focused on cost reduction, simplicity, and future-proofness against legacy and emerging services and applications by means of optical transparency. With the ultimate goal of providing access to information when needed, wherever needed, and in whatever format it is needed, the vision of technological convergence of wireless and optical networks is not only becoming a necessity but also plays a key role in future communications networks. Towards the technical evolution of wireless-optical access networks and the seamless coexistence of both technologies, this paper provides a review of state-of-the-art developments and advances in wireless and optical communications, presents key technical challenges for providing seamless communications in fiber-wireless (FiWi) access networks, and highlights important research issues for providing intelligence, transport, access, and convergence of these future networks.