FAQs
What is IOWN?
IOWN stands for Innovative Optical and Wireless Network. IOWN is a significant computing, communications and network infrastructure to realize a smarter world by using cutting-edge technologies like photonics, large-scale simulations technologies and next-generation ultra-realistic UI/UX technologies.
What problems will IOWN solve?
As AI technologies and distributed computing technologies are continuously more and more used, performance requirements for computing and communications are increasing. This increase of power consumption may cause limitations of performance by some critical reasons such as high heat problems in chips or other devices. In addition, high-performance distributed systems require high performance of network capabilities including ultra-wide bandwidth and ultra-low latency. For example, distributed AI computing requires wide network bandwidth for vast amount of calculation and/or data for predicting future society.
What is a smarter world?
A smarter world is a world where work, people, and industries grow increasingly intertwined and “smart” through advances in technology. These advances will lead to an environment that improves the way humans live and interact with technology, and each other. Making our environment and our lives smarter does not only mean that everything is interconnected and highly automated. It also means that our interaction with technology changes – technology becomes a natural part of everyday life in the sense that it is so personalized that people engage with it seamlessly, even without realizing it.
What is an All Photonics Network?
An All Photonics Network is a network based on photonic technology down to the level of information processing. From the network to the terminal, light is converted, and wavelength is assigned according to the function. Optical processors are used in terminals and servers, and networks assign wavelengths for each function. These networks bring excellent capacity, low latency, flexibility, and energy efficiency.
What is Digital Twin Computing?
Digital Twin Computing is a computing paradigm that enables things and humans in the real world to be recreated and interact without restrictions in cyberspace with “digital twin operations” – computations to exchange, converge, replicate and synthesize multiple digital twins.
What are the key objectives of the Forum?
The Forum’s objective is to accelerate innovation and adoption of a new communication infrastructure to meet our future data and computing requirements through the development of new technologies, frameworks, specifications and reference designs in areas such as Photonics R&D, Distributed Connected Compute, and Use Cases and Best Practices.
What is the estimated impact potential of the Forum’s targeted developments?
As smarter world technologies will redefine the way humans perceive and interact with technology, the impact as a whole is hard to estimate. However, next generation communications have the potential to improve many aspects of life ranging from remote healthcare, disaster prevention, education, automated driving, finance, entertainment/sports, and industrial manufacturing. Specifically for all-photonics networks – as one of the first steps towards a smarter world – the IOWN Global Forum targets approximately 100-fold improvements in power consumption, end-to-end latency, as well as transmission capacity levels compared to traditional networks.
Which companies and institutions does the Forum see as potential members?
Technology, telecommunications, and other industry organizations will be invited to join the forum. We are looking forward to welcoming a broad set of members. Regardless of size and geography, companies and organizations who share the motivation to make IOWN real and can (or want) to contribute to the creation of the new world, can reach out for membership opportunities. The IOWN Global Forum board takes the ultimate decision on who can join the IOWN Global Forum.
What are member benefits and responsibilities?
Setting and influencing the strategic direction of future developments by leading and/or participating in working groups and various activities of the IOWN Global Forum Direct interaction with other members regarding the development of a smarter world Active contribution to society
What is the difference between IOWN and an optical network?
IOWN combines optical networks, distributed computing and digital twin computing in a new advanced network that uses optical as its infrastructure.
What is the need that IOWN addresses?
AI, VR, AR, 5G, blockchain and others — are on the verge of becoming regular parts of the daily lives for billions of people on the planet. Together, these technologies have the capability to change the world. They also have the capability of seriously impacting existing networks and consuming massive amounts of power. IOWN addresses both issues with its all photonics next generation communications infrastructure.
Who is on the IOWN Global Forum Board of Directors?
The IOWN Global Forum Board of Directors consists of elected individuals from Sponsor Members. To see the current Directors, please visit our Board of Directors page.
How does IOWN impact 5G?
Fifth generation mobile networks (5G) and its services will slide seamlessly into the IOWN communications infrastructure. IOWN will be built for all sorts of networking technologies (both wired and wireless including 5G, 6G and beyond) and will manage those networking technologies in an integrated manner.
How do we know when the world is approaching the limits of its communications
and infrastructure technology?
Global data traffic is doubling every year stressing the limits of the Internet. We are hitting the limits of conventional computing processing power and network speeds of the existing communications infrastructure. Today, seven percent of the world’s power goes to feed IT and the Internet. That number is expected to rise to 10 percent by 2030.
What type of specifications do you plan to develop?
By 2030 we plan to have published 50 proof-of-concepts around the design and implementation of IOWN Global Forum’s next generation communications infrastructure.
What new solutions and opportunities could IOWN provide?
The innovations and advanced capabilities and services from IOWN technology will be in the areas of energy, health care, mobility-as-a-service, finance and entertainment. These innovations will emphasis reducing power consumption, increasing transmission speed and reducing latency.
Events
Meet the IOWN Global Forum
Members of the Forum gather regularly and speak at industry conferences and events. Find out where you can interact with us next.
Newsletter
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The Forum publishes an informational newsletter and shares industry updates periodically with the latest news, events, and technical information.
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