Photonic transceiver IC for the subscriber access region

In June 1996 the six largest European network operators and NTT of Japan defined their objective of bringing the glass fibre network to the subscriber by the beginning of the 21st Century. In order to be able to offer the necessary bidirectional broadband links to customers at an attractive price, the data should be transmitted over a glass fibre in both directions. For this purpose, inexpensive photonic bidirectional transmit/receive integrated circuits are needed in large quantities. Their development is a focus of technological effort at the authors' Institute.