Lighting the last mile

Canon U.S.A. Inc., Lake Success, N.Y., has a new, low-cost line of free space optics systems that deliver high-speed "last mile" connectivity. The Canobeam DT-100 Series of optical beam transceivers are suited to situations where traditional bandwidth is insufficient, laying optical fiber is cost prohibitive, or agencies need redundant connections.

Free space optics is like wireless optical networking. It uses lasers to provide the bandwidth of fiber optic networks. The Canobeam DT-100 Series transmits voice, video and data at speeds up to 1.2 gigabits-per-second over distances up to 1.2 miles. One caveat: It's a line-of-sight so it must be deployed strategically. The Labor Department and other agencies have adopted Canobeam technology.