Enterprise Design Guide - Public - CommScope

Fiber Optic Cable Distances for 10 Gb/s Networks
10 gigabit (10,000 Mb/s) backbones with horizontal links of 1 Gb/s are becoming
common. While these speeds were possible before with single-mode fiber, the high electronics
costs were a limiting factor. However, new and economical 850 nm Vertical Cavity Surface
Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) make operating these very high speed networks possible over highbandwidth
laser-optimized 50 µm multimode fibers.
Outlet
90 m
Outlet
300 meters in
collapsed
backbones
Equipment room
(intermediate
crossconnect)
The 90 meters of 1 Gb/s horizontal cabling still can be either twisted pair or multimode fiber.
Backbone connections of 300 meters must use laser-optimized 50 µm fiber or single-mode
fiber. While standards limit campus transmission distances to 300 meters, links in the 500 -
600 meter range are possible with high bandwidth 50 µm fiber (at these operating distances,
pay special attention to loss budgets). Distances beyond that require the use of single-mode
transmission systems.
Fiber
Description
Bandwidth (MHz•km)
850/1300 nm
50 µm OM4 4700*/500 550 m
50 µm OM3 2000*/500 300 m
50 µm OM2+ 950*/500 150 m
50 µm OM2 500/500 82 m
10 Gb/s Range
with 850 nm VCSEL
62.5 µm OM1 200 /500 33 m - very limited distance
8.3 µm single-mode NA 2 km and up**
* Effective Modal Bandwidth (EMB)
**using 1310 & 1550 nm lasers
Telecommunications Room
(horizontal crossconnect)
X meters between
crossconnects
(distributed
backbones)
300 meters 50 µm OM3 multimode
3000+ meters single-mode
total cabled distance (X+Y) between
active equipment shall not exceed
300 meters for multimode fiber
Y meters 50 µm OM3 multimode
2500+ meters single-mode
Central
equipment
room
(main crossconnect)
to Local
Access
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