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Free Space Optics - FSO: Technology History Market Challenges Advantages     Free Space optics (fso) Frequently Asked Questions     Would you like to know more about FSO solutions? Get a free Link Assessment Report to see if FSO is right for you See FSO @ Work Around the Globe Access FSO White Papers, Application notes, News and Articles here       Q: What is FSO or Free Space Optics? A: Free Space Optics (FSO), also called Free Space Photonics (FSP) or Optical Wireless, refers to the transmission of modulated visible or infrared (IR) beams through the atmosphere to obtain optical communications. Like fiber, FSO uses lasers to transmit data, but instead of enclosing the data stream in a glass fiber, it is transmitted through the air. Q. Is Free Space Optics (FSO) a new technology? Initially used in military and aerospace secure applications, Free Space Optics (FSO) communications technology has been in development since the 1960’s. Recent advancements combined with the surge in bandwidth demand have brought the technology out of the shadow’s and into the spotlight. FSO links have been deployed by enterprise customers worldwide for the last several years. New advanced systems, like the SONAbeam™ from fSONA, have been designed with telecom carrier’s needs in mind and the carrier’s are now taking an interest in the technology. Q. How Does Free Space Optics (FSO) Work? FSO transmits invisible, eye-safe light beams from one "telescope" to another using low power infrared lasers in the teraHertz spectrum. The beams of light in FSO systems are transmitted by laser light focused on highly sensitive photon detector receivers. These receivers are telescopic lenses able to collect the photon stream and transmit digital data containing a mix of Internet messages, video images, radio signals or computer files.Commercially available systems offer capacities in the range of 100 Mbps to 2.5 Gbps, and demonstration systems report data rates as high as 160 Gbps. Q. How is Free Space Optics (FSO) different from other forms of wireless? Unlike RF wireless, FSO is an optical technology that operates in invisible parts of the optical spectrum at near-infrared wavelengths. The beams of light in fSONA’s advanced systems are transmitted by laser light focused on highly sensitive photon detector receivers. These receivers are telescopic lenses able to collect the photon stream and transmit digital data containing a mix of Internet messages, video images, radio signals or computer files. Transmission is highly directional making it far more secure than RF technologies but also requiring that the two points to be connected be within line-of-sight of each other. The benefits of FSO over RF, include: - No Licensing - No Interference - Much Lower Latency - No Rain-Fade - More Secure - Higher Bandwidth Q. How is Free Space Optics (FSO) equipment deployed? Freedom from licensing and regulation translates into ease, speed and low cost of deployment. Since optical wireless transceivers can transmit and receive through windows, it is possible to mount them inside buildings, reducing the need to compete for roof space, simplifying wiring and cabling, and permitting the equipment to operate in a very favorable environment. The only essential requirement is line of sight between the two ends of the link. Unlike radio and microwave systems, FSO is an optical technology and no spectrum licensing or frequency coordination with other users is required, interference from or to other systems or equipment is not a concern, and the point-to-point laser signal is extremely difficult to intercept, and therefore secure. Data rates comparable to fiber transmission can be carried with very low error rates, while the extremely narrow laser beam widths ensure that there is almost no practical limit to the number of separate links that can be installed in a given location. Q. How far can Free Space Optics (FSO) systems transmit? In ideal conditions or clear weather, today’s FSO systems can transmit up to 10 kilometers. Since ideal conditions are rare, a far better guide to actual transmission range can be found in manufacturer’s recommended optimum ranges. SONAbeam products are recommended for transmission from 75m all the way up to 5km. However, because climate conditions vary for each deployment, it is recommended that a Link Assessment be performed for each prospective deployment. Click here for a Free link assessment.. Q. At what bandwidth can Free Space Optics (FSO) systems communicate? Available SONAbeam™ systems can transmit data from 1.5 Mbps all the way up to 1500 Mbps. While some systems offer fixed transmission speeds, others such as the SONAbeam 1250-S, are able to ramp up bandwidth as needed. The 1250-S offers transmission speeds from 34 Mbps all the way up to 1.5 Gbps. Q. With what protocols is Free Space Optics (FSO) compatible? SONAbeam™ systems are a layer one technology and thus protocol transparent. This means that they are able to operate in all networks – from legacy to next-generation. SONAbeam™ systems work in Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, SONET/SDS, ATM, FDDI networks. As well, SONAbeam™ systems are uniquely able to transmit at the specialized bandwidths required to meet digital video standards. These systems are also able to easily integrate with other wireless standards such as 802.11 or WiFi. Q. Is Free Space Optics (FSO) safe? Wavelengths above 1400 nm are allowed up to 50 times the output power of systems operating below 1400 nm due to the inherent eye-safety characteristics of longer wavelengths. All the SONAbeam™ products operate at the eye-safe wavelength of 1550 nm and exceed all recommended standards set forth by U.S. and international regulatory bodies. Q. Does the weather affect Free Space Optics (FSO)? Yes, the weather does affect Free Space Optics (FSO) transmission. SONAbeam™ systems take this into account and have been engineered to be the most powerful FSO systems available with multiple beam technology. Through network planning, carrier-class availabilities can be achieved in all conditions. fSONA offers unique Link Analysis software which evaluates deployments and calculates given availabilities. Contact an fSONA representative to have a Link Analysis performed. SONAbeam systems offer the best environmental protection in the industry via a rugged, environmentally-sealed housing that can be deployed in temperatures from -40°F to 140°F (-40°C to 60°C). Q. Do birds affect Free Space Optics (FSO) transmission? Properly engineered FSO systems will not be affected by birds crossing the path of the beam, nor will the birds be injured by the beam. SONAbeam systems have been engineered with multiple, spatially diverse beams and a large receiver and thus will not be affected by birds. Q. For what applications are Free Space Optics (FSO) links suitable? FSO products are used around the globe by carrier, ISP, CLEC and enterprise customers for applications such as 'last-mile' connectivity, private line replacement, mobile wireless backhaul, metro ring extensions, LAN bridging, redundancy or physical diversity, high-speed low-interefence WiFi/802.11 backbones, campus voice/video/data extensions, campus remote PBX extensions, remote cellular antenna backhaul, HDTV and other video broadcasting or medical imaging backhaul.