21581 - SCTE Broadband August2022 COMPLETE v1

40 Vol. 44 No. 3 - September 2022 Issue Nowadays, network users want more data capacity and less latency. Data centres, enterprises and telecom operators are faced with the challenge of constantly increasing throughput. Meanwhile, changes to the network’s backbone are often extremely expensive or impossible to accomplish. The best choice is to scale the transmission capacity in the existing optical networks using dark fibre solutions, such as grey transceivers and WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) technology. Here, Michał Owca, product manager at telecommunication networks expert Salumanus, explains the benefits of these solutions. Making the most Dark fibre is commonly defined as unlit, unused optical fibre that could potentially bring significant benefits to a network’s capacity. Thanks to dark fibre, network operators can connect two locations through point-to- point connection and scale their network’s transmission capacity. Regardless of whether a fibre pair is part of their own infrastructure or whether they have access to it based on a lease agreement, there are many advantages to using existing lines. One of the biggest advantages of dark fibre is the scalability and flexibility in the development of throughput, allowing operators to expand their network when and if they need to. This also gives users full independence and control of the network development. Similarly, dark fibre offers almost unlimited bandwidth and eliminates common public network elements, thus making the network more secure especially for big organisations in critical sectors. Grey transmission technology for higher bit rates To speed up data transmission, we can use grey optics with higher bit rates. Grey optics, also known as grey transceivers or standard transceivers, are the most popular type of transceivers. They work at wavelengths of 850nm or 1310nm, or 1550nm in two fibres (one fibre in one direction), and often come in different forms, such as SX, LX, EX or ZX, SR, LR, ER. However, there are limitations related to the phenomenon of chromatic dispersion. Chromatic dispersion happens when different wavelengths in a light beam arrive at their destination at slightly different times. This creates a dispersion or spreading in the pulses that convey digital information. To ensure that optical fibres deliver their maximum capacity, operators need to compensate for the chromatic dispersion. In the case of transmissions of 100Gbit and more, one solution is using By Michael Owca, Product Manager, Salumanus of your existing fibre networks: How to scale your dark fibre bit rate? from the industry Michał Owca, Product Manager, Salumanus