ABSTRACT
Hybrid fiber radio (HFR) describes such a heterogeneous network, an end-to-end network solution that leverages the distinct features and capabilities offered by wireless and optical networks. The integration of optical fiber and wireless networks has been a commercial reality for some time and is becoming increasingly pervasive. This chapter presents an overview of HFR systems with a focus on the basic enabling technologies and concepts for such systems. The global evolution and development of wireless networks is being driven by the ongoing desire for untethered connectivity in personal communications, the proliferation of mobile devices, as well as the ever-increasing customer demand for bandwidth-intensive applications. Dense wavelength-division multiplexed (DWDM) technologies have also been investigated for HFR systems operating in the millimeter-wave frequency region. The successful implementation of DWDM feeder networks in these high-frequency systems is largely dependent on being able to realize suitable and efficient multiplexing and demultiplexing schemes.
