FAQs

No, fiber communication equipment does not require regular maintenance once installed.

Fiber, which is lightweight and flexible, can transmit signals over distances of 100km without signal degradation. It is the most cost effective material for transporting signals.
Fiber has unlimited bandwidth. Fiber does not conduct electricity, so it cannot be damaged during electrical/lightning storms. Since signal leakage is not possible over optical cables, signals are secure and tapping cannot occur.

There is really is no maximum or minimum distance when it comes to RFOF. RF signals can be transmitted over any length of fiber with the use of EDFA’s (Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifiers).
Consequently, the maximum benefit of fiber can be achieved using any fiber length. RFOF can be connected using a short fiber jumper and the optical signal can be amplified using EDFA on long fiber runs.
If needed, Global Foxcom staff can assist with your fiber design, to provide optimal performance at long distances.

RFOF can be deployed in a wide range of applications, including: GPS & time distribution, Maritime, Cable-TV, Satellite signal transport, Radar applications, , Cellular signal distribution (DAS) and secure military (Radio) transmissions.

No. The installation and set-up of RF Optical devices do not require the skills of a special technician. The same applies to cabling, as long as they are pre-terminated and cut to size at the time of ordering. During installation, precautions should be taken to ensure fiber connectors are kept clean.

RF over Fiber transmission is an analog process. Hence, signal quality will not be degraded due to the fact that lasers are directly modulated by the RF signal itself. On the receiving end, the RF signal is recovered using an Optical-Electrical modulator.

This calculation depends on the laser and its operating wavelength. The general rule is the higher the wavelength, the lower the loss.
For every 1Km of fiber, you will incur a loss of 0.25dB at 1550nm or 0.4dB at 1310nm. When calculating optical budget, one needs to include optical connector or patch panel losses, which is approx. 0.1dB for each point of connection. For example, the total fiber loss of a 2Km fiber run, when using a 1550nm laser and two optical patch panels on each side, will be 0.9dB (0.25dB+0.25dB+0.2dB+0.2dB).
The converted RF power is related to the square of the optical power, and due to this relationship, a 1dB loss of optical power will become a 2dB loss of RF power.

Yes, with the use of optical RFOF transmitters equipped with a high-power laser and a passive optical splitter, the signal can be split and distributed to multiple receiver sites. This is used widely for commercial CATV/DTH signal distribution.