What are the benefits of using RF Over Fibre?

07/01/2021 -

New year, new and improved inter-facility links with fibre?

RF Over Fibre provides many benefits, which are outlined in the video and list below.

Watch our latest StingRay RF Over Fibre product video to get more information about our 100 & 200 series range.

Why use RF Over Fibre?

ETL's StingRay RF Over Fibre (RoF) inter facility links (IFL) convert high quality RF to optical signals over single mode fibre from a satellite antenna to reception equipment room, up to 10km away, with options for distances up to 500km with the use of optical amplifiers.

The benefits of RF Over Fibre

RF Over Fibre provides many benefits in comparison to traditional copper coaxial cable.

- Fibre has much lower loss, 0.4dB per km. Beyond 700m a fibre link will have better noise performance
- Fibre is much smaller than copper coax cable. Therefore making it easier to install and deploy. With the number of feeds rising, duct space and rack space is limited.
- Fibre has a much higher information carrying capacity. Use wavelength division multiplexing (CWDM / DWDM) to place many feeds on a single fibre. Which is also easier to manage and provides further cost and space improvements.
- Fibre does not conduct electricity! So you are likely to have fewer problems with lightning strikes, Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and Radio Frequency Interference (RFI).
- Fibre is much lower in cost than copper cable. Beyond a few hundred metres an optical link is cheaper! Cable savings cover extra cost of equipment at each end.
- Fibre is easier to manage and maintain.
- Fiber provides a secure method of signal transmission against signal interception.
- Typical applications include secure communications for government and defence, long distance fibre links via CWDM and DWDM, satellite ground segment equipment at teleports and gateways, VSAT terminals for oil and gas, marine and broadcast, telecomms, marine via GPS and GNSS and satellite operators.

ETL's RF Over Fibre range is constantly growing, with more high quality optical conversion modules and chassis' added to meet customers changing requirements.

ETL Systems RF Over Fibre Equipment

The StingRay 100, 200, 400 & 900 Series Range

The StingRay RF Over Fibre series provides equipment solutions for indoors and outdoors, 19" racks or compact RF components.

So if you're upgrading from coaxial to optical, we're sure to have a reliable, resilient and robust product to convert high quality RF to optical signals over single mode fibre.