Neat to see that optical is the new RF, in that it is using coherent modulation techniques that were once restricted to radio. In a similar vein, RF is also the new baseband (like audio and video before), in that the lower ends of RF (VHF and below) are transitioning to direct sampling at a reasonable cost.

The takeaway for me is that there are opportunities for people with experience in radio modulation and DSP to move into the optical game.