How to reduce the cost of building a 5G network?
The solution has great potential to develop connections with the highest bitrates and 5G and 6G networks. New optical modules and multiplexers operating in the “O” transmission window range reduce the total cost of building a network by up to 80 percent.
The length of the optical network in Poland amounted to 421 thousand km at the end of 2021 — reads the latest report of the Office of Electronic Communications. And by 30,000 over the year, the number of installed nodes of telecommunication networks increased. Progress in the world can be seen clearly in the growing value of the industry. The global fiber market in 2020 was valued at $4.54 billion by Emergen Research. A decade later, Research and Markets estimates, the global fiber market will reach nearly three times its value, or about $11.18 billion.
The development of the network is not only the constantly growing number of users, the popularity of streaming or remote work, it is also the result of a revolution in industry and management of urban infrastructure. High-speed fiber connections help to transmit the vast amounts of data needed, for example, to surveillance systems for crime prevention and traffic control, but also to IoT devices that facilitate everyday life and ensure a sustainable lifestyle.
Uniform development is hampered by rising costs of installing new fiber optic infrastructure, supply chain problems, and other socio-economic upheavals. Innovations that can reduce costs become all the more valuable.
O-Band, the original band
Service providers and network operators are looking for solutions that can seamlessly upgrade their existing network infrastructure. In search of efficient and economical data transmission solutions, the telecommunications industry is therefore once again reaching for the “O” band. The solution is generating enthusiasm in the market due to the huge potential to reduce the cost of building a network.
However, let's start from the beginning.
The single-mode fiber transmission band was divided into five subbands, denoted by the letters “O” (original), “E” (extended), “S” (short), “C” (conventional) and “L” (long).
The “O” band is a fragment of the second transmission window in the range from 1260 nm to 1360 nm. In the mid-1970s, it was considered the main wavelength band of telecommunications and used for optical communication. Lasers and detectors were created on its basis. The strength of the “O” band is the lack of sensitivity to chromatic dispersion, that is, signal distortion.
The disadvantage is the higher attenuation, which is why, over time, the “C” band (around 1550 nm) has become the preferred choice for longer distances, at the expense of having to deal with chromatic dispersion.
The increasing flow rates forced further changes. 100G transmission in the “C” band is ideal for a distance of 2-3 km. To send the data further, we need to compensate for the chromatic dispersion. We need signal amplifiers that increase installation costs.
Meanwhile, the chromatic dispersion in the “O” band for G652 cables, i.e. those most commonly used in Poland and in Europe in general, is close to 0. Thanks to this, 100G transmission up to 30-40 km can be transmitted practically without interference.
Salumanus at the forefront of the world
Salumanus as One of the first companies in the world has just launched a complete solution for optical networks based on the “O” transmission band. These are QSFP28 optical modules and multiplexers of the GBC Photonics brand. The devices have been successfully tested in the Salumanus network laboratory and have proven themselves in test installations with external customers.
The new GBC Photonics solution, which allows to transmit 100G transmission multiples over a distance of up to 30 km, uses WDM technology based on a 200GHz network. We already have 8 channels at our disposal today, and research is underway in the Salumanus laboratory to double this number.
The optical modules work with PAM4 modulation and have a broadband receiver. As a result, they can be used for both single and two-fiber applications. The great advantage of O-Band technology is the fact that it does not require the use of optical amplifiers. The solution consists of passive multiplexers and optical modules in the form of a QSFP28 interface, which we can install directly in network devices.
In addition to technological advantages, they are important savings. GBC Photonics' new optical modules and multiplexers operating in the “O” band guarantee a reduction in network building costs by about 50 percent and reduce the TCO, or total cost with 5 years of maintenance, by about 80 percent.
Towards 5G/6G and the metaverse
The United States Telecomm Association calculated that global Internet protocol traffic in 2021 was about 79,640 petabytes per month. It's a hard figure to imagine, and it's still growing. Analysts of the Office of Electronic Communications estimate that in Poland in 2026 81% of mobile Internet users will use 5G technology.
Solutions based on the “O” band can play a vital role in connecting 5G and 6G base stations. Currently, we are still building them using 10G, and sometimes 25G connections. It is certain that we will soon need 100G connections in the so-called last mile. GBC Photonics modules and multiplexers are an ideal candidate to achieve this goal. First, he realizes the distance up to 30 km, and secondly, it enables the maintenance of a passive infrastructure between the 5G/6G device and the aggregation device. Passive structure provides greater network simplicity, easier management and lower power consumption.
Similarly, O-Bands will benefit small and medium-sized data centers and ISP operators, who today mainly rely on 10G connection multiples. The solution based on the “O” band is a viable alternative for them and easy migration.
Another jump in bandwidth and latency change is likely to force the metaverse. Although even Meta admits that it does not yet know exactly what requirements it will place on networks, it is certain that a stable and high-bandwidth network infrastructure is the basis for development. Investments are essential, but it is worth choosing solutions that are not only effective, but also economical.