The High-Speed Networks and Optical communications group (NOC) group (established in late 2002) operates within “Athens Information Technology (AIT) – Center of Excellence for Research and Graduate Education”, which was created by the non-profit organization “Research and Education Society in Information Technology (RESIT)”.
The mission of the NOC group is to perform research on technologies, algorithms, protocols, architectures and transport schemes for evolving high-speed communication systems and networks. Our goals are to:

• Make significant contributions in the area of High Speed Networks and Optical Communications
• Propose solutions that achieve efficient transfer of information through high-speed, high-capacity networks based on new types of service protocols and architectures
• Design secure and robust networks that accommodate the traffic demands and quality of service requirements
• Obtain an integrated view of the key network technologies and transport schemes that can promote new application specific product opportunities

AIT’s NOC group has a broad range of interests and the know-how/tools to support state of the art research efforts related with the following topics:
• IP/optical networks convergence
• Network dimensioning studies
• Techno-economic value analysis studies for broadband networks and services
• Survivable networks
• All-optical network technologies
• High speed signal generation, detection and error correction
• Channel equalization
• Security issues in high-speed wire-line networks
• Optical network infrastructures for support of global GRID applications
• Transport protocols for large scale networks
• Network services and applications (Content Distribution, VoIP, VoD,…)
• Storage Networking
• Optical access technologies, architectures for advanced broadband services
• Packet switching architectures; Optical routers
• Network control and management
• Quality of service protocols and architectures
• Self-organized networks, autonomic communications
• Customer managed networks
• Business models for deployment of broadband networks and services
• Regulatory and policy issues for the ICT industry

To support research in the aforementioned topics we have established a state of the art laboratory and have access to a number of relevant simulation tools.

• The laboratory is equipped with:
  a recirculating loop supporting 80 channels C-band 50 GHz channel spacing, with 5 amplifier spans and a variety of fibre types (SMF, LEAF, Truewave and corresponding dispersion maps).
• 40 L-band transmitters
• Amplifiers: C- and L-band EDFAs, Raman, SOAs, EDWAs
• MEMS switches (8x8 and 16x16)
• C- and L-band Dynamic Channel Equalizer
• 10Gb/s forward error correction and channel equalization modules
• Various optical components (e.g. tuneable filters, GFF, switches etc)
• Test equipment: 10Gbit/s BERT set, 40Gbit/s Communications analyzer, OSA.

In addition, a set of software tools are used (VPI transport maker, VPI transmission maker, VPI access maker, OPNET, Matlab, etc.).

Senior researchers with many years of industrial experience and a solid research background form the core of the group. A number of scientists from other companies/universities are collaborating with the group on a part-time basis. The group has a total of 5 permanent senior members (Dr. I. Tomkos, Dr. A. Tzanakaki, Dr. D. Klonidis, Dr. S. Sygletos, Mr. Ch. Kouloumentas) specializing in different areas of optical communications and high-speed networking. The members of the group are internationally recognized researchers that have published more than 240 publications in international journals.magazines and conference/workshop proceedings. In addition to the scientific publications, the members of the group have co-authored numerous technical reports (+50) in areas related with their field of expertise. Our work has been sited in more than 400 publications. Finally the members of the group have two patents issued, four patent applications published and several other patent applications pending. It is also worth pointing out that members of the group participate in the Technical Program Committees of the major international conferences in telecommunications/networking (IEEE ICC, IEEE Globecom, OSA/IEEE OFC, ECOC, etc.) and have significant contributions to the activities of the International Optical Networking Technical Committee of the IEEE Communications Society (prof. I. Tomkos is the elected Vice-Chair of this Committee). The group members are leading research activities in a number of EU and National research projects.

AIT’s NOC group has strong relationships with the global optical networking industry and the Greek telecom industry. It is collaborating closely with the Cylab and the Center for Wireless and Broadband Networking of Carnegie Mellon University. Additionally, AIT maintains close ties and has established partnerships with a large network of Academic Institutions, Corporate R&D Labs and Industrial affiliates worldwide. The group is actively pursuing collaboration with other partners in the framework of EU and national projects. It has participated so far in about 30 such proposals/consortia. In collaboration with its academic/industrial partners, AIT currently participates in several EU and National funded projects (e.g. FP6 IST SSA BReATH, FP6 IST STREP TRIUMPH, FP6 IST NoE e-Photon/ONe, COST 291, COST 288, COST 293, GR/UK e-sience).

(last updated June 2006)