Free-space optical data transmission for military and civil applications: A company report on technical solutions and market investigation

Cassidian Optronics develops electro-optical systems for military and space applications. FSO optical communication terminals were developed and successfully tested in military scenarios. Additionally the military and commercial telecommunication market was investigated with the question, if FSO has a chance to develop from the niche market towards a valuable solution to solve the future needs. The results of this investigation are presented.