Developing broadband access networks is one of the most urgent needs in the telecommunications world. The wireless systems provide an efficient solution to address the requirements for last mile connectivity of data, Internet and voice services Radio systems using millimetre-wave frequencies can supply home users with capacities in the order of 50-200 Mbit/s Such bit rates allow the transmission of broadband applications including digital TV, video-on-demand etc In order to provide the massive capacities that are required for the distribution of such broadband data between Central Station and Base Stations, optical fiber can be employed The enormous transmission bandwidth and low loss of the fiber ensure that high capacity microwave signals can be encoded on an optical carrier and successfully transmitted from a Central to Base Station.
The goal of this project was to develop and test a radio over fiber communication system This involved investigating the generation of microwave optical signals for transmission in optical fiber, followed by an examination of the effect of fiber propagation on the microwave optical signals.