Optical Fiber Standardization
A number of domestic and international organizations are involved in management of the optical and mechanical parameters of optical fiber in both bare and cabled form, as well as their subsequent application. The common charter of all of these organizations can be distilled into a few salient points. By introducing standardized bounds on the optical parameters of transmission fibers (e.g., modal dispersion, attenuation, cutoff wavelength), system vendors and customers alike can be assured of reasonable degrees of infrastructure capability and consistency, while fiber manufacturers have reasonable flexibility for product improvement and new product development. The broader missions of certification assistance and promotion of international trade apply as well.
Outside of cabling and mechanical specifications, which are equally addressed in the standards, the primary optical specifications are modal bandwidth and attenuation (for multimode fiber), and attenuation, chromatic dispersion, and cutoff wavelength for single-mode fiber. See the glossary for a definition of these terms.
The standards bodies with vested interest in the governance of optical fiber specifications are:
- ISO (International Organization for Standardization) � ISO comprises national member bodies which are �most representative of standardization in its country�, representing over 90 nations. For optical fiber specifications and standards, ISO and IEC collaborate on several Joint Technical Committees (JTC).
- IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) � IEC addresses the electronics and telecommunications industries, and counts over 50 nations among its membership. The current IEEE 802.3 standard for 10 Gigabit Ethernet cites ISO/IEC standard 11801 for optical fiber specification compliance, which in turn refers to IEC 60793-2 for detailed optical fiber parameter requirements.
- TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association) � TIA operates under the umbrella of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA), and focuses its efforts on the telecommunications and information technology industries. TIA was initially formed as a consortium of suppliers to the United States independent telephone industry, but has since broadened its technical scope and has adopted a more global perspective. TIA is commonly cited (typically in conjunction with the American National Standards Institute or ANSI) for optical fiber and system test procedures.
- ITU (International Telecommunication Union) � The ITU falls under the auspices of the United Nations System of Organizations, and comprises (like the ISO) a large number of sovereign nations as its membership. Over 180 countries currently are represented within the ITU. The ITU administers the commonly referenced single-mode fiber standards documents, G.652 through G.655, as cited by optical telecommunications systems providers and their customers.