January/February/March 2021 I 7
Conventional LANs can be fundamentally limited by copper distribution cables, complex layers
of active components, and the common use of optical multimode fiber (MMF) in backbones.
Approximately 78 percent of the optical fibers deployed in LANs are multimode.
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A passive optical
LAN (POL) architecture can overcome these limitations and offers high bandwidth via optical fiber
to the desktop. By removing the layers of switches, it lowers power consumption and may reduce
operational costs. To meet the high-speed and growing requirements for higher bandwidth, the first
inclination is to install optical singlemode fiber (SMF). However, this approach in many instances
makes the renovation of a standard LAN into a POL complex and costly. But what
if an enterprise could benefit from the advantages of POL, while keeping its existing
MMF network?
COVER ARTICLE By Kevin Lenglé, Ph.D.