Fiberless optical communication: issues and challenges

Abstract To fulfill the requirement of high data rate with variable quality of service, optical wireless communication is a better option in comparison to existing RF system and is a favorable technological candidate for future optical communication. In wireless optical communication, information is transmitted by propagation of optical wave through the atmosphere. The detrimental effects of channel parameters can acutely limit the utility of an optical wireless communication system. The paper first reviews different channel models in the context to outdoor wireless communication. Different impairments that affect the performance of outdoor optical communication systems and different techniques to mitigate these impairments are then investigated. The upper layer protocols for free space optical communication are also discussed.