The next generation of information technology demands both high capacity and mobility for applications such as high speed wireless access capable of supporting broadband services. The transport of wireless and wireline signals is converging into a common telecommunication infrastructure. In this paper, we will present the Marie Curie Framework Program 7 project “Wireless and wireline service convergence in next generation optical access networks” (WISCON), which focuses on the conception and study of novel architectures for wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) optical multi-modulation format radio-over-fiber (RoF) systems; this is a promising solution to implement broadband seamless wireless -wireline access networks. This project successfully concluded in autumn 2013, and is being follow up by another Marie Curie project entitled “flexible edge nodes for dynamic optical interconnection of access and core networks” (FENDOI), which will be also briefly described.

In this paper we summarize the work conducted in our group in the area of E- and W-band optical high-capacity fiber-wireless links. We present performance evaluations of E- and W-band mm-wave signal generation using photonic frequency upconversion employing both VCSELs and ECLs, along with transmission over different type of optical fibers and for a number of values for the wireless link distance. Hybrid wireless-optical links can be composed of mature and resilient technology available off-the-shelf, and provide functionalities that can add value to optical access networks, specifically in mobile backhaul/fronthaul applications, dense distributed antenna systems and fiber-over-radio scenarios.