The premier international event for the latest advancements in optical communications and networking returns to San Diego in March. The Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition (OFC) will feature a five-day technical conference March 6-10 and an exhibition March 8-10. San Diego skyline. Registration for the conference and expo remains open. The 2022 program comprises over 50 short courses, 10 interactive workshops, and six technology showcases. Presentation and workshop session topics span quantum communications and satellite optical interconnects, to optics and electronics co-packaging and future machine learning and AI system design. Expansive Technical Program and Demo Zone Panel discussions, tutorials, peer-reviewed presentations, and demonstrations are among the agenda items included as part of the technical program. John Bowers, director of the Institute of Energy Efficiency at the University of California, Santa Barbara, will deliver one of three plenary sessions, along with James Green, NASA scientist and senior adviser, and Elise Neel, senior vice president of Verizon New Business Incubation. Bowers will deliver “Present and Future Silicon Photonics.” Invited speakers will lead three conference tracks: devices, optical components, and fiber; systems and subsystems; and networks, applications, and access. Invited speakers from industry and academia, representing companies such as Lumentum, NTT Corp., Corning, and Tower Semiconductor, are scheduled to lead sessions. On Monday, March 7, the OFC “Demo Zone” will debut. Live demonstrations of research projects and proof-of-concept implementations in the space of optical communication devices, systems, and networks will take place in a dedicated booth, favoring an interactive format with real-time exchanges between attendees and demo presenters. Demonstrations are typically executed on demand and may involve a combination of on-site and remote equipment. They can include recorded video or live connections to remote hardware or experiments. The Demo Zone covers aspects of network orchestration and intelligence, hardware, and physical layer transmission. Over 15 presentations are scheduled, in topic categories such as automated device alignment or characterization setups; automated measurement setups for high-capacity transmission experiment; systems, subsystems (and devices) for free-space, microwave, or optical fiber transmission; and digital processing subsystems and sensing. Exhibition Floor and Career Zone End users and engineers from R&D and commercial settings are encouraged to attend a products showcase of network equipment and software, active and passive components, test and manufacturing equipment, data center/IT products, and cable and fiber. On the show floor, three theaters will feature presentations by experts from major global brands and key industry organizations. Hot topics and market trends, as well as emerging technologies, are among the areas of discussion that guests can expect. Over 400 exhibitors are confirmed. Those exhibiting include Molex, Viavi Solutions, Infinera, ficonTec, and InnoLight. The show floor will also include the OFC Career Zone, supporting the needs and interests of employers and job seekers. Employers and job seekers can connect in person during the conference at the OFC Career Zone and online through the OFC e-Career Center. A dedicated job fair, split across three show days, is scheduled to run for 20 hours. Industry Luminaries and Thought Leaders Converge Cedric Lam from Google LLC, Jelena Notaros from MIT, Nir Laufer from Oscilloquartz SA, and Madeleine Glick from Columbia University will each lead sessions, as invited speakers or symposia organizers. Stanford University’s Jelena Vuckovic (passive optical devices for switching and filtering), Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne’s Tobias Kippenberg (hybrid nonlinear integrated photonics), and Tata Communications’ Mei Du (modern subsea networks) will also attend as tutorial speakers. On Tuesday, March 8, OFC will offer a “Conversation with the Plenary Speakers.” OFC general chairs Shinji Matsuo, David Plant, and Jun Shan Wey, with all three plenary speakers, will be available. Beginning at 12 on Tuesday, March 8, conference co-sponsors IEEE Communications Society, IEEE Photonics Society, and Optica (formerly OSA) will participate in the OFC and Co-Sponsors Awards Ceremony and Luncheon, and honor recipients from each society. The event is open to all guests with a ticket. The program will include the presentation of the 2022 John Tyndall Award, society fellows, and other recognitions. More Information and Attendance Registration is ongoing for OFC, to be held March 6-10 in San Diego. Information on registration, this year’s program, health and safety measures, and accommodations can be found here. Conference attendees, exhibitors, vendors, and staff must be fully vaccinated and show proof of vaccination with photo ID to attend this year’s event.