SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Organizers announced today that OFC 2021, the premier event in telecom and data center optics, will now take place 6 – 10, June 2021, at the Moscone Center, San Francisco, California, USA. The exhibition will be held 8 – 10, June 2021. Considered the foremost gathering of leaders in academia, engineering and industry, OFC represents the entire optical communications ecosystem—from research to the marketplace, from components to systems and networks, technical sessions and an interactive exhibition.
The conference, originally scheduled for 28 March – 1 April 2021 in San Francisco, has rescheduled its dates to ensure a successful conference and exhibition experience for all participants, while also taking into consideration the health and safety of attendees and exhibitors.
"Since the 2020 conference and exhibition occurred, OFC's co-sponsors, Steering Committee and Program Chairs have been meeting regularly to ascertain the likely impact of the current pandemic on the event," said OFC 2021 Steering Committee Chair, Seb Savory, IEEE/Photonics Society, and University of Cambridge, UK. "After careful consideration, having consulted various stakeholders, it became clear that the best solution at this point in time, was to shift the timing of OFC, from March to June. By moving the event to these new dates, we not only increase the likelihood that we will be able meet together in person and so able to enjoy both the usual onsite programming and exhibits, but it also better aligns the timing of OFC with other major conferences that have shifted their timing in response to the pandemic."
OFC 2021 will introduce a blended in-person and virtual format to provide attendees the greatest opportunity to reach customers, reconnect with colleagues and demonstrate innovative solutions to this community. The high-caliber plenary program will include live onsite presentations from three distinguished speakers on the latest research and applications in optical fiber communication.
The OFC 2021 technical program will continue to explore the latest in optical communications innovation, data-center connectivity, machine learning/artificial intelligence (AI), applications of optical networks in 5G and cloud computing. The new abstract and summary submission deadline is 26 January 2021, 12:00 EST.
Health and safety measures will be implemented at the Moscone Center and all associated properties. Further details about the Call for Papers, speaking submissions, the conference and exhibition will be forthcoming. Please monitor the OFC website for updates.
The traditional OFC conference schedule will resume in March 2022 to maintain continuity for attendees in planning and preparing for the event.
About OFC
The Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition (OFC) is recognized as the largest global conference and exhibition for optical communications and networking professionals. For nearly 50 years, OFC has drawn attendees worldwide to meet and greet, teach and learn, make connections and advance the communications industry. OFC captures the pulse of the entire optical networking and communications industry by featuring dynamic business programming, exhibitions, and high impact peer-reviewed research. OFC is managed by The Optical Society (OSA) and cosponsored by OSA, the IEEE Communications Society (IEEE ComSoc) and the IEEE Photonics Society.
