A Survey on Hybrid Free Space Optical and Radio Frequency Systems: Classification, Progress, Observations, and Challenges
<p dir="ltr">Data rate, security, spectral efficiency, energy efficiency and reliability represent the main requirements in most of communication systems. Different wireless technologies can achieve different levels of these requirements, where a specific wireless technology cannot i...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | , , , |
| Published: |
2025
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1864513534222663680 |
|---|---|
| author | Heyam Hassan (22466887) |
| author2 | Saud Althunibat (16888722) Amneh Al-Mbaideen (22466890) Mazen Hasna (16904661) Khalid A. Qaraqe (16904664) |
| author2_role | author author author author |
| author_facet | Heyam Hassan (22466887) Saud Althunibat (16888722) Amneh Al-Mbaideen (22466890) Mazen Hasna (16904661) Khalid A. Qaraqe (16904664) |
| author_role | author |
| dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv | Heyam Hassan (22466887) Saud Althunibat (16888722) Amneh Al-Mbaideen (22466890) Mazen Hasna (16904661) Khalid A. Qaraqe (16904664) |
| dc.date.none.fl_str_mv | 2025-04-18T12:00:00Z |
| dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv | 10.1109/access.2025.3558500 |
| dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv | https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/A_Survey_on_Hybrid_Free_Space_Optical_and_Radio_Frequency_Systems_Classification_Progress_Observations_and_Challenges/30405736 |
| dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv | CC BY 4.0 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv | Engineering Communications engineering Electronics, sensors and digital hardware Free space optics radio frequency millimeter waves terahertz hybrid schemes mixed schemes Surveys Wireless communication Security Reliability Switches Meteorology Internet of Things Free-space optical communication |
| dc.title.none.fl_str_mv | A Survey on Hybrid Free Space Optical and Radio Frequency Systems: Classification, Progress, Observations, and Challenges |
| dc.type.none.fl_str_mv | Text Journal contribution info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion text contribution to journal |
| description | <p dir="ltr">Data rate, security, spectral efficiency, energy efficiency and reliability represent the main requirements in most of communication systems. Different wireless technologies can achieve different levels of these requirements, where a specific wireless technology cannot individually attain the best performance in all of these system requirements. Free-Space Optical (FSO) and Radio Frequency (RF) communications are fundamental and popular wireless technologies. Although FSO systems can achieve high data rates, maintain high security levels and minimize energy consumption, they suffer from low reliability in some weather conditions (such as fog and haze), require Line-of-Sight (LoS) connections, and are limited to point-to-point communication systems. On the other hand, RF technology has been shown as a reliable system under diverse weather conditions, allows for users and data multiplexing and represents an efficient option for non-LoS communication scenarios. However, compared to FSO, the achievable data rate and security level by RF are limited. To this end, combining both technologies (i.e., FSO and RF) has been widely nominated as an efficient hybrid communication system that exploits the advantages of both technologies in different scenarios and conditions. In the literature, a wide set of hybrid FSO/RF systems has been presented to accomplish different objectives including improving throughput, boosting reliability, maintaining connectivity and enhancing security. This survey paper provides a comprehensive overview of hybrid FSO/RF systems, presenting a classification framework of the different hybrid setups proposed in the literature, and identifying the main design objectives of hybrid FSO/RF systems. The survey includes technical revisions of related literature, followed by a set of the observations made and another set of challenges and open issues in the field of hybrid FSO/RF systems.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: IEEE Access<br>License: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en" target="_blank">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1109/access.2025.3558500" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1109/access.2025.3558500</a></p> |
| eu_rights_str_mv | openAccess |
| id | Manara2_f653bdd05759110246679ccc390f4774 |
| identifier_str_mv | 10.1109/access.2025.3558500 |
| network_acronym_str | Manara2 |
| network_name_str | Manara2 |
| oai_identifier_str | oai:figshare.com:article/30405736 |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| repository.mail.fl_str_mv | |
| repository.name.fl_str_mv | |
| repository_id_str | |
| rights_invalid_str_mv | CC BY 4.0 |
| spelling | A Survey on Hybrid Free Space Optical and Radio Frequency Systems: Classification, Progress, Observations, and ChallengesHeyam Hassan (22466887)Saud Althunibat (16888722)Amneh Al-Mbaideen (22466890)Mazen Hasna (16904661)Khalid A. Qaraqe (16904664)EngineeringCommunications engineeringElectronics, sensors and digital hardwareFree space opticsradio frequencymillimeter wavesterahertzhybrid schemesmixed schemesSurveysWireless communicationSecurityReliabilitySwitchesMeteorologyInternet of ThingsFree-space optical communication<p dir="ltr">Data rate, security, spectral efficiency, energy efficiency and reliability represent the main requirements in most of communication systems. Different wireless technologies can achieve different levels of these requirements, where a specific wireless technology cannot individually attain the best performance in all of these system requirements. Free-Space Optical (FSO) and Radio Frequency (RF) communications are fundamental and popular wireless technologies. Although FSO systems can achieve high data rates, maintain high security levels and minimize energy consumption, they suffer from low reliability in some weather conditions (such as fog and haze), require Line-of-Sight (LoS) connections, and are limited to point-to-point communication systems. On the other hand, RF technology has been shown as a reliable system under diverse weather conditions, allows for users and data multiplexing and represents an efficient option for non-LoS communication scenarios. However, compared to FSO, the achievable data rate and security level by RF are limited. To this end, combining both technologies (i.e., FSO and RF) has been widely nominated as an efficient hybrid communication system that exploits the advantages of both technologies in different scenarios and conditions. In the literature, a wide set of hybrid FSO/RF systems has been presented to accomplish different objectives including improving throughput, boosting reliability, maintaining connectivity and enhancing security. This survey paper provides a comprehensive overview of hybrid FSO/RF systems, presenting a classification framework of the different hybrid setups proposed in the literature, and identifying the main design objectives of hybrid FSO/RF systems. The survey includes technical revisions of related literature, followed by a set of the observations made and another set of challenges and open issues in the field of hybrid FSO/RF systems.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: IEEE Access<br>License: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en" target="_blank">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1109/access.2025.3558500" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1109/access.2025.3558500</a></p>2025-04-18T12:00:00ZTextJournal contributioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontextcontribution to journal10.1109/access.2025.3558500https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/A_Survey_on_Hybrid_Free_Space_Optical_and_Radio_Frequency_Systems_Classification_Progress_Observations_and_Challenges/30405736CC BY 4.0info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:figshare.com:article/304057362025-04-18T12:00:00Z |
| spellingShingle | A Survey on Hybrid Free Space Optical and Radio Frequency Systems: Classification, Progress, Observations, and Challenges Heyam Hassan (22466887) Engineering Communications engineering Electronics, sensors and digital hardware Free space optics radio frequency millimeter waves terahertz hybrid schemes mixed schemes Surveys Wireless communication Security Reliability Switches Meteorology Internet of Things Free-space optical communication |
| status_str | publishedVersion |
| title | A Survey on Hybrid Free Space Optical and Radio Frequency Systems: Classification, Progress, Observations, and Challenges |
| title_full | A Survey on Hybrid Free Space Optical and Radio Frequency Systems: Classification, Progress, Observations, and Challenges |
| title_fullStr | A Survey on Hybrid Free Space Optical and Radio Frequency Systems: Classification, Progress, Observations, and Challenges |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Survey on Hybrid Free Space Optical and Radio Frequency Systems: Classification, Progress, Observations, and Challenges |
| title_short | A Survey on Hybrid Free Space Optical and Radio Frequency Systems: Classification, Progress, Observations, and Challenges |
| title_sort | A Survey on Hybrid Free Space Optical and Radio Frequency Systems: Classification, Progress, Observations, and Challenges |
| topic | Engineering Communications engineering Electronics, sensors and digital hardware Free space optics radio frequency millimeter waves terahertz hybrid schemes mixed schemes Surveys Wireless communication Security Reliability Switches Meteorology Internet of Things Free-space optical communication |