Wireless optical communication in Malaysia

Abstract

As the third generation (3G) communication is being introduced in to Malaysia, more and more research trying to strive toward wireless communication systems. Many factors encouraging this wireless communication system such as cable or fiber problem. The cost of cable and fiber is getting high more over the place needed to place these transmission cables or fiber also becomes a major problem. This new generation of wireless communication system also called as fourth generation (4G) communication system. Wireless optical communication system is also one of the wireless communication system that being introduce. Optical communication system is using only optical such as laser or light to transmit data to another place. Difference from other wireless system is that it does not use any radio wave signal. In that case, wireless optical communication system does not have problem with interfering with other radio frequency channel. Wireless optical communication systems have short range and also long range. For the short range we can commonly see is infrared system that able us to connect from computer to computer or mobile phone to another. The long range is satellite optical communication system. While the medium range optical wireless communication system is range from 500m, 1km, 2km and 3km. This is Fast Ethernet Series that use to transmits voice and data at high speeds through “free space” (air) using laser beam technology [1]. The most near to us example that we can see is that located in University of Technology Malaysia (UTM), Skudai which located in Faculty of Electrical Engineering. This experimental used wireless optical was connected from P03 level 5 (in front of basic digital lab) to P05 level 4. This type of in UTM is used for experiment used for research. However, it still has the function almost the same with commercial used Fast Ethernet Series. Fast Ethernet is only one small part of optical wireless communication used. Most usually wireless optical that we used every day is infrared remote control for our television console. This type of system is considering small system that using small amount date transmissions.