Self-organizing broadband hybrid wireless networks

Feature Issue on Optical Wireless Communications (OWC) We describe what we believe to be a new paradigm for autonomous configuration and self-organization of directional broadband wireless networks. These networks use combined free-space optics (FSO) and directional radio-frequency (RF) wireless communication modalities, along with agile transceivers that can intelligently direct their narrow beams. Autonomous hardware and software control of network topologies is used to set up links or reconfigure them in response to performance degradation. We call our new paradigm for dynamic network operation and self-organization "topology control." We describe research in the design, development, and evaluation of novel, fully optical wireless pointing, acquisition, and tracking (PAT) techniques. We also describe the modeling and simulation of hybrid FSO-RF networks in dynamic environments, which include changing traffic and atmospheric conditions, and node mobility.