Software requirements for very high bandwidth communications

Abstract

The author discusses the impact of very high bandwidth communications (VHBC) on the researchers and developers of the related communications software and protocols. He notes that the future technology will make it possible to transmit information at rates in excess of 1.7 Gb/s, at bit error rates ranging from 10-14 to 10-28, with the utilization of very large real storage (in excess of hundreds of megabytes of dynamic real memory) and with processing power growing to provide hundreds of millions of instructions per second. The differences between VBHC and traditional communications are highlighted. It is emphasized that for VBHC the traditional assumptions are no longer valid, in the sense that VBHC features almost infinite bandwidth, extremely low bit error rates, and intelligence.