Compared with general IoT sensors, optical fiber sensing technology has two advantages. One is the capability for easily monitoring a wide area. As optical fibers enable “linear” sensing, it is possible to sense at higher resolutions than normal IoT sensors that are designed to take measurements at “points” where the sensors are installed. In addition, it does not demand new power sources. This advantage is further enhanced by the flexible and light characteristics of optical fiber cables.
In addition to these, existing optical fibers are today stretched out in a finely meshed overland pattern, and “lines” are densely overlapped so that even “planar” sensing is becoming possible. As 5G spreads in the future, the mesh of the networks will become even finer, like capillaries, and it will reach small areas, making the sensing resolution much higher. Moreover, nowadays, optical fibers are running not only under and above the surface of the ground but also inside skyscrapers. Along with future improvements to analytical accuracy, with the addition of the third dimension, we expect three-dimensional “height” sensing will also be possible in the future.
The other advantage is real-time analysis. This is because optical fibers themselves serve as both communication channels and sensors. This means there is no need to establish new data networks. Thus, the entire process of acquiring data through networks is no longer necessary, which results in fewer time lags and more real-time processing.
Yet, our technology is not competing with IoT sensors. Rather, we assume these two technologies will be closely linked together. In fact, we foresee linkage with various data sources. For example, meteorological data obtained from IoT sensors can be combined with optical fiber sensing data for analysis, or distributed IoT sensors as “points” can be complemented by “linear” networks of optical fiber sensing. The needs of data formulation may vary greatly depending on the field of use. Looking at the potential evolution of this technology in the future, we would like to contribute to society by pioneering a new service platform.

With regard to the applicability of the technology, a technology validation experiment has already been successfully conducted. In October 2019, we conducted a joint validation experiment with Verizon Communications, one of the leading telecommunication operators in the US. In this validation, we successfully demonstrated the possibility of the co-existence of 36.8Tb/s communication and our sensing technologies over Verizon’s commercial networks. Meanwhile, we also confirmed the ability to identify the number of vehicles, the direction of movement and the variation in vehicle speed by combining our AI analysis technology.
“This test marks an important milestone for technology that could provide a huge leap forward for those building smart cities and those tasked to manage them,” commented Mr. Adam Koeppe, the Senior Vice President for Technology Strategy and Planning at Verizon. We believe the outcomes of the validation experiment provided new guidance for future smart city development and optical fiber laying planning.