Advocate of Optical Telecommunications Resiliency Receives Optical Society Award

Efforts to make optical telecommunications systems more resilient during disasters have earned Isao Sugino the 2014 Advocate of Optics award from The Optical Society (OSA).

Sugino, of the Telecommunications Bureau of Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), has been involved for 20 years in Japan's government administration related to information communications technology and telecommunications. He was appointed to the MIC in 2011.

In a keynote speech at the Optical Fiber Communications Conference in 2012, Sugino spoke about the effect on telecommunications of the earthquake and tsunami that struck his country the year before. In addition to addressing efforts to quickly restore the networks, Sugino also focused on future plans and R&D for Japan to consider when constructing a dependable network infrastructure.

“Having seen firsthand the impact a natural disaster can have on telecommunications systems, Isao is a knowledgeable and trusted source on the resilience of optical technologies,” said OSA CEO Elizabeth Rogan.

For more information, visit www.osa.org.