Corning introduced today a new standard single-mode fiber that handles twice the launch power of other ITU-T G.652 fibers, addressing a key technical barrier facing Triple Play networks. Corning said its “MaxPower” technology increases the stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) threshold of the optical fiber by 3 dB. This doubles NexCor fiber’s power-handling capability over other standard single-mode fibers.
SBS is a non-linear effect caused by high power levels that scatter transmitted light backward (“backscattering”) and degrade the signal. Analog video transmission’s demanding power requirements make a fiber’s SBS threshold the defining limitation of networks delivering analog video to consumers today, such as PONs and CATV networks. For example, with twice the launch power enabled by NexCor fiber, a PON can double the number of subscribers served per splitter and extend its reach compared with other standard single-mode fibers. http://www.corning.com
