Optiwave and NRC Partner to Advance Laser-Powered Optical Wireless Communications

Collaboration leverages simulation technology to enable next-generation free-space optical links in hard-to-reach environments.

Ottawa, Canada – June 10, 2025 -FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Optiwave is proud to announce a new collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) aimed at accelerating the development of laser-powered optical wireless communications (OWC). Through this partnership, NRC researchers are using Optiwave’s industry-leading photonic simulation software to design and evaluate free-space optical (FSO) systems that could deliver high-speed connectivity where traditional fiber infrastructure is impractical.

Utilizing the OptiSystem simulation platform, NRC is able to model real-world atmospheric conditions—such as fog, turbulence, and alignment drift—to test and validate the performance of laser-based communications before physical deployment. These simulations are helping pave the way for reliable, low-latency, fiber-like connectivity in places like remote regions, urban corridors, maritime platforms, and disaster zones.

This collaboration highlights the growing importance of OWC as a complementary technology to fiber optics. By enabling high-data-rate communication in spectrum-constrained or infrastructure-limited environments, optical wireless holds tremendous potential for future telecommunications, aerospace, and emergency response applications.

At Optiwave, we’re honored to support the NRC’s innovative work and reaffirm our commitment to empowering groundbreaking research through powerful simulation tools.tries supports Optiwave’s hallmark of achievements in Canadian business for 30 years.

Read the full announcement by NRC:
https://nrc.canada.ca/en/stories/nrc-collaboration-brings-laser-powered-communications-closer-commercial-reality

Learn more about our optical system design tools at www.optiwave.com, or contact us to explore collaboration opportunities.