IRVINE, Calif. & SAN DIEGO, April 24 -- Meade Instruments Corp. and AirFiber Inc., developer of free-space optical equipment, have jointly developed Nashira, an optical subsystem designed for carrier class free-space optical communications. Free-space optics is a wireless technology that gives telecommunications carriers the ability to quickly provide fiber-like services without the cost and expense of installing fiber. Nashira is expected to be a key component in AirFiber's recently introduced 5000 series of carrier-class products. The subsystem's polarized optics facilitate the use of a shared aperture, which minimizes weight and cost; and its precision-ground lenses ensure a beam that can maintain a reliable free-space optical link, the companies said.