To have high-speed internet you need access to fiber optic communication links.
Optical fibers must be connected to each other, preferably in a reconfigurable way, to distribute signals in fiber optic networks. Currently, installing connectors on such tiny glass optical fibers in the field requires highly specialized personnel and numerous specialized tools. Dust and dirt make it virtually impossible to achieve field connections with a level of quality comparable to that attainable in a factory or laboratory environment. The current research promises a connector system that guarantees factory-like performance during field installation.
Vector leverages the latest advances in heat-shrink materials, nanomaterials, high-tech gels, microfabrication, and micromechanical alignment systems to achieve superior optical connections. Partners across Europe have joined forces to realize the project's objectives. The project is funded by the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration (FP7) and coordinated by TE Connectivity (through its Belgian subsidiary, Tyco Electronics Raychem BVBA). Vector also benefits from significant contributions from DEMCON Advanced Mechatronics BV (Netherlands), Celoplas – Plásticos para a Indústria SA (Portugal), the Free University of Brussels and Ghent University (Belgium), Telecom Italia SpA (Italy), and Telekom Deutschland GmbH (Germany).
