Optical Communication - Free-space Optical Communication

Free-space Optical Communication

Main article: Free space optical communication.

Free Space Optics (FSO) systems are generally employed for 'last mile' communications and can function over distances of several kilometers as long as there is a clear line of sight between the source and the destination, and the optical receiver can reliably decode the transmitted information. IrDA is an example of low-data-rate, short distance free-space optical communications using LEDs.

Other free-space systems can provide high-data-rate, long-range links using small, low-mass, low-power-consumption subsystems.