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Optical Transceivers in Telecom Networks

An optical transceiver is a compact, hot-pluggable device that enables bidirectional data transmission over fiber optic cables. It’s the critical bridge between the electrical signals in network equipment (like switches, routers, and base stations) and the optical signals used in fiber networks. In telecom, they are key to delivering high-speed, long-distance communications.


🔑 Key Features

  • Bidirectional Communication: Converts electrical signals to optical for transmission and back to electrical at the receiver.

  • Form Factors: Designed for specific interfaces (SFP, SFP+, QSFP28, QSFP-DD) to fit into network hardware.

  • Speeds: Ranging from 1 Gbps (Gigabit) to 400 Gbps+ and beyond.

  • Reach: From a few meters (short-range modules for data centers) to hundreds of kilometers (DWDM modules for backbone networks).


📦 Types of Optical Transceivers in Telecom

Type

Speed

Typical Reach

Applications

SFP/SFP+

1G / 10G

Up to 80km (SFP-ER)

Access networks, metro networks

QSFP28

100G

Up to 10km (CWDM4), 40km (ZR4)

Core/metro networks, 5G backhaul

QSFP-DD

400G

2km–120km (ZR/ZR+)

Backbone, data center interconnect

DWDM Modules

10G–400G

80–1000+ km

Long-haul transport networks

Coherent Optics

100G–1.6T

Ultra long-haul

Submarine cables, backbone


🌐 Applications in Telecom

  • Access Networks: Connecting customer premises to metro aggregation points.

  • Metro Networks: Aggregating traffic from access networks.

  • Core Networks: High-speed transport between major hubs.

  • 5G Backhaul & Fronthaul: Handling massive mobile traffic with low latency.

  • Data Center Interconnect (DCI): Linking cloud/enterprise data centers.


📈 Trends in Telecom Transceivers

  • Shift to 400G and 800G: Driven by 5G, IoT, and video streaming demands.

  • Pluggable Coherent Optics: Simplifies deployment of high-capacity links.

  • Open Standards (like OpenZR+ and QSFP-DD): For vendor interoperability.

  • Energy Efficiency: Key in large-scale telecom networks.


GigOptics - Your Trusted Source for Optics


At GigOptics, we offer a wide range of optical transceivers for telecom networks; all tested to ensure quality and reliability. For more information, contact us at info@gigoptics.com.

 
 
 

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