WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 -- Technical paper submissions for the Optical Fiber Communication (OFC) Conference and Exhibit are up 30 percent, an indication that "research and development in fiber optics remains robust," said Ronald Esman, managing director of Dorsal Networks Inc. and the OFC technical program co-chair. Over 1100 technical papers on cutting-edge research in the field of optics were submitted for consideration this year. Those selected will be presented at the conference, March 17-22 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif.