Media release: The Hague, The Netherlands, 25th of May 2021 

 

Aircision and TNO successfully demonstrated an outdoor 10 Gigabit-per-second optical wireless link over 2.5km – enabling fast deployable 5G networks

  

Last week, Aircision and TNO successfully completed their field tests establishing the first optical wireless link of 10 Gigabit-per-second (Gbps) over 2.5km in the Netherlands. The tests were conducted between the Tower in the TNO Oude Waalsdorperweg  facility in the Hague and the Luchtwachttoren in Scheveningen. It is a vital milestone of the collaboration between TNO and Aircision. The ambition of both parties is to develop Free Space Optic (FSO) Ground-to-Ground systems that can deliver 100 Gbps and distances of 10km, and beyond, to further advance secure broadband connectivity in the Netherlands and Europe, and strengthen the innovative power and competitive position of the Dutch suppliers on the telecom market.

  

“This field test is crucial for our mission to build high performing FSO systems that meet the demand for worldwide connectivity.” said Aircision CEO Luis Oliveira. “By demonstrating that our technology works at 10 Gbps and 2.5km, we are on our way to outperform the technical specifications set by current E-band solutions.”

  

TNO has years of knowledge and experience in developing and building cutting-edge FSO systems and optical systems for Space applications. From technologies that transmit data over thousands of kilometers in Space, Aircision can benefit for its targeted delivery of higher bitrates and coverage over greater distances. This opens up new use cases for the use of FSO, such as rural 4G and 5G expansion, 5G enterprise networks, and rapid deployment; which is in line with European Commission’s main objectives for the upcoming years as part of the ‘Digital Decade’ and ‘A Europe fit for the digital age’ programs. TNO and Aircision share this vision and have the ambition to contribute to the digital transformation of the EU.   

 

TNO Space aims to enable secure broadband connectivity that will support the growing demand for data and increase communication efficiency. We also help stimulate economic growth in the Netherlands and Europe by enabling companies to realise new products, generate new business and improve their competitive position. This project with Aircision is a great example of these goals in practice.” said Niel Truyens Senior Business Developer TNO.

   

In the next phase, TNO and Aircision plan to continue with the development of their technology to deliver 20Gbps over 5km for Aircision’s first product to be field tested in Q4 of 2021. Commercial pilots are planned for 2022. Aircision is supported by the Dutch FSO ecosystem for the development of key components and a global versatile supply chain.

 

This project is co-funded by Holland HighTech, with a PPP Grant for Research and Innovation in Top Sector HTSM.

 

About Aircision: 

Aircision is a deep-tech startup located on the HighTech Campus Eindhoven focused on developing high performing FSO systems for Ground-to-Ground applications. Aircision was founded in early 2019 with support from the Eindhoven Startup Alliance and HighTechXL. For more information, see the Aircision website here.   

 

About TNO: 

The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) is an independent research organization. We connect people and knowledge to create innovations that boost the sustainable competitive strength of industry and well-being of society. Now and in the future. This is our mission and it is what drives us, the over 3.500 professionals at TNO, in our work every day. We work in collaboration with partners and focus on transitions or changes in nine social themes that we have identified together with our stakeholders.  

 

Aircision is a venture built by