Technology and policy drivers for standardization : consequences for the optical components industry

Optical communications promise the delivery of high bandwidth service to all types of customers. The potential for optical communications is enormous and has generated excitement and anticipation over the last decade. However, the emergence of a growing market has not materialized and the 1990s communications "bubble" has burst. One result of the bubble burst is that manufacturers of optical components have seen demand for their products plummet and are now struggling to survive. The future of the communications industry depends on its ability to provide better services and higher reliability. At some point, the upward curve of communications demand will require a strong optical components industry to support the industry. If the current stagnation continues, and the manufacturers fail, the economic pillar that is communications will suffer. The MIT Microphotonics Center has initiated a Communications Technology Roadmap study to better understand the technical, economic, and political factors that are inhibiting growth in the optical communications industry. This thesis examines the current state of the optoelectronic manufacturing industry and the causes of the decline. The primary focus is the rampant proliferation of optical transceiver designs resulting from abnormal market conditions during the "boom years" of the 1990s. The transceiver provides send/receiver capabilities and is the major component of optical networks. Convergence, or standardization, could potentially allow the industry to reach its full potential. System Dynamics is used to analyze transceiver standardization as a potential solution to the industry's lackluster growth.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2004

Author dc:creator

• Speerschneider, Michael James, 1975-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Lionel C. Kimerling.

• Materials Science and Engineering.
• Technology and Policy Program.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/30212

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/30212