OFC/NFOEC Press Releases

MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact:
Angela Stark
Optical Society of America
202.416.1443
astark@osa.org

OFC/NFOEC 2007 Confirms Three Industry Luminaries as Keynotes

Plenary Speakers include Nicholas Negroponte, Mark Wegleitner, Chongcheng Fan

The 2007 Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition/National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference (OFC/NFOEC) – the premier international optics communications event – will feature three prominent experts in the field of optics and telecommunications. The speakers are scheduled to give keynote addresses at the OFC/NFOEC plenary session, which draws the largest audience at the conference. Their talks will provide important insights into the state of the optical communications industry, information on the latest in cutting-edge technology, assessments and analyses of industry trends and a unique international perspective of the future of optical fiber communications.

WHAT: Three leaders in the fiber optic industry are confirmed as keynote speakers for OFC/NFOEC.

WHO: Plenary speakers are:

Nicholas Negroponte, co-founder, MIT Media Lab; founding chairman, One Laptop per Child
Negroponte is the co-founder of MIT’s Media Lab, one of the world’s leading interdisciplinary research centers. An expert in global digitalization, he is the author of The New York Times bestseller Being Digital. He founded and currently serves as chairman for the non-profit One Laptop per Child, which seeks to provide laptops valued at $100 to children in developing countries, and has recently expanded to the U.S., after Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney proposed legislation that would provide a laptop to all middle and high school students in the state.

Mark Wegleitner, chief technology officer (CTO), Verizon Communications
Wegleitner is senior vice president – technology and network planning and CTO for Verizon Communications. His address, titled “Maximizing the Impact of Optical Technology,” explores the current optical technologies that, combined, make an end-to-end all optical network both practical and economical.

Chongcheng Fan, vice director, Professional Group of Optical Communication, Chinese Institute of Communications
Fan is a retired professor from Tsinghua University in Beijing and vice director of the Professional Group of Optical Communication at the Chinese Institute of Communications. He will discuss “Optical Fiber Communications in Mainland China: Activities and Visions of Carriers, Equipment Vendors and Academia,” which provides valuable firsthand insights into the trends and activities of the booming telecommunication industry in China.

WHEN: March 25 - 29, 2007 (Plenary Session – Tuesday, March 27, 2007, 8 a.m. - 11 a.m. PST)

WHERE: Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, California, USA (Plenary Session -- Hilton Anaheim Hotel, Pacific Ballroom)

About OFC/NFOEC

Since 1985, the Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition (OFC) has provided an annual backdrop for the optical communications field to network and share research and innovations. In 2004, OFC joined forces with the National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference (NFOEC) creating the largest and most comprehensive international event for optical communications. By combining an exposition of more than 600 companies, with a unique program of peer-reviewed technical programming and special focused educational sessions, OFC/NFOEC provides an unparalleled opportunity reaching every audience from service providers to optical equipment manufacturers and beyond.

OFC/NFOEC, www.ofcnfoec.org, is managed by the Optical Society of America (OSA) and co-sponsored by OSA, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers/Communications Society (IEEE/ComSoc) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers/Lasers and Electro-Optics Society (IEEE/LEOS). Acting as a non-financial technical co-sponsor is Telcordia Technologies, Inc.

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