Overview

As explained in Chapter 1, Introduction to Optical Communications, fiberoptics is not new. However, the field has been ignited by several new uses and applications of older technologies. The telephone companies were deploying the basic fiber systems in their local architectures and then moved into Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET) architectures in local and metropolitan areas. We also learned that the long-distance carriers were moving toward a robust networking strategy using fiber and SONET in support of their networks. Corporate users also began migrating to fiber inside the walls of their office buildings on local area networks (LANs) or campus area networks (CANs). The issues that inevitably surface when discussing the use of fiber include

• Cost per foot of the fiber as opposed to copper-cable plant

• Cost of the electronics

• Cost of the repeaters and amplifiers

• Difficulty of installation

Each of these issues was, in its own right, a valid concern. The cost issues were significant several years ago. However, technology matures, and mass production begins driving the prices down to more palatable and financially justifiable levels.

Suppose that we were asked by management to rewire a building today. The first question we have to satisfy is: How much bandwidth do we think we are going to need in the backbone of the network, and what demands will exist to the desktop? The answer is going to be as complex as the question. Several congruent technologies can satisfy most of our day-to-day needs...