For 50 years the Optical Fiber Communications Conference and Exhibition (OFC) has showcased the emerging technologies of researchers and industry for the optical networking and communications community.
In 1970, the demonstration of low-loss fibers (16dB/km) and the first room-temperature semiconductor lasers laid the groundwork for developing practical fiber optic communications.
Five years later, in 1975, OFC was born. For the next 50 years, you and thousands of participants have been responsible for significant technological achievements to increase bandwidth and security — to connect the world’s Internet of Things (IoT) devices at speeds never thought possible and enable global networking services.
Throughout the years, OFC has been your partner to communicate and share these advances.
Come celebrate 50 years of optical networking and communications achievements that the OFC community has facilitated to connect individuals and businesses across geographic and oceanic boundaries.
50 Years of Innovation
As we look back at the last 50 years of discoveries and speculate about what is yet to come, OFC unveils a timeline that surveys 50 years of innovation — from the first commercial continuous-wave diode laser in 1975 to advancements in Quantum networking and AI. Browse the timeline of milestones, and see the progression of the world’s innovations.