WASHINGTON, March 1 -- The state of FTTx (fiber-to-the-home/curb/neighborhood) and its worldwide deployment will be the topic of nearly 20 presentations, sessions and workshops that will be part of the Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition and National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference (OFC/NFOEC), being held March 6-11 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif.
   The Optical Society of America, which manages and cosponsors OFC/NFOEC, said, "As the access network infrastructure that enables full triple play to deliver voice, data and video for the connected home or business, FTTx has the potential to change the way people live, work and play."
   Executives and engineers from NTT in Japan will discuss the success of the rapid expansion of broadband in Japan as well as reducing costs for first-mile deployment; a workshop on "FTTP (fiber-to-the-premises): Now or Never?" will feature speakers from Telcordia Technologies, Amedia Networks and the IEEE Lasers & Electro-Optics Society; and FTTx will be the topic of six technical paper presentations from NTT-NEOMEIT, NTT-WEST, NTT Japan, KAIST Republic of Korea, the University of California, Harmonic, Teknovus Inc. and Verizon.
   "Broadband Access: FTTP Is Changing the Game" will be one of many sessions in the third annual Market Watch: Business and Technology, a three-day series that will focus on applications and business trends in the optical communications industry.
   An FTTH/PON (fiber-to=the-home/passive optical network) demonstration area, coordinated with the support of The Light Brigade, will showcase products and equipment used in FTTH/PON installations, and International Theater, a one-stop venue showcasing the latest technology advances from around the world, will include presentations from the Montreal Photonic Network, Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan and Brazil Photonics.
   OSA said, "This year's combined OFC/NFOEC will for the first time host the entire scope of optical communications, providing exhibits, live demonstrations and educational activities for all audiences."
   An exposition, short courses, a plenary session, peer-reviewed technical programming, a Service Provider Summit and workshops are also on the agenda.
   For more information, visit: www.ofcconference.org