Choosing the Right Multimode Fiber for Data Communications

Choosing(the(Right(Multimode(Fiber(for(Data(Communications(

applications that most customers will use today or in the future, while preserving the low

system cost advantages of multimode fiber.

In addition, OM3 fiber shares the same connector technologies and installation

techniques as 62.5 µm fiber, which means installers can leverage their existing fiber

installation experience without additional training. All of this, coupled with the fact that

greatly improved cabling materials and processes have made 50 µm fiber cable-friendly,

is driving the migration to OM3 as the multimode fiber of choice in LANs, SANs, data

center interconnects and, now, Access applications. As a result of these factors, the Fiber

Optics LAN Section recommends that for new installations, customers install OM3 fiber.

What’s in the future?

Taking a peek “under the tent”, fiber manufacturers are developing a 50 µm with

extended bandwidth (preliminarily being referred to as "OM4" fiber), that potentially

could be used to extend the system cost benefits enabled by 850 nm VCSEL technology

to ultra long building backbones and medium length campus backbones. It would support

10 Gb/s Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and OIF applications to distances as much as 550

meters (subject to some conditions) by utilizing an EMB of 4,700 MHz-km, more than

double the IEEE requirement for 10 Gb/s 300 meter support.

Check for future updates on fiber and related technologies at www.fols.org.