The 2023 Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition (OFC) returns to San Diego March 5-9, bringing a projected 12,000-plus attendees, 500-plus exhibitors, and dozens of cutting-edge technical sessions. This year’s in-person conference will be supported by a hybrid format to help extend its reach to a global audience. The live event’s multitude of displays and highlights will revolve around three exhibition hall theaters showcasing expert presentations on hot topics such as data center connectivity, space-based optical communications, and what’s next for integrated optics. Courtesy of Optica. Among the highlights is a plenary session on March 7 that will feature three industry leaders, beginning with Patricia Obo-Nai, CEO of Vodafone Ghana. She is an advocate for STEM education for youth and women on a variety of local and international platforms, including U.N. General Assembly panel sessions. Following Obo-Nai is Jayshree Ullal, president and CEO of Arista Networks, who helped the cloud networking company launch a successful IPO in 2014 and build a multibillion-dollar business. Rounding out OFC’s plenary session is Wendell Weeks, who has served as Corning Inc.’s CEO since 2005 and as chairman of the company’s board since 2007. The focus of these leaders’ talks and other presentations underscores the perspective that access to broadband equates with opportunity in communications, education, and health care, according to OFC chairs Christopher Cole, Ramon Casellas, and Ming-Jun Li. Accompanying the exhibit, OFC’s five-day technical conference will feature over 120 peer-reviewed presentations by thought leaders invited to discuss the latest emerging technologies. Additional technical programming throughout the week includes 11 interactive workshops, 10 industry panels, six symposia and special sessions, 50 in-depth short courses, and several tutorials. One highlight of OFC’s technical program is its thought-provoking rump session on March 7. Co-moderated by Daniel Kuchta of IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center and Michael Hochberg of Elenion Technologies, the session will probe the question of whether the silicon photonics platform is about to be standardized, diversified, or supplanted. For more information about OFC 2023, visit www.ofcconference.org.