The Wavelength Definition of Transmission Bands for Fiber Communication.


Do you know what the definition of transmission bands are?

Optical transmissions are not transmitted continuously over the whole electromagnetic spectrum.

The spectrum for transmission in single-mode optical fibers has been broken into the following wavelength ranges, or bands:

  • O-band (Original) from 1260 to 1360 nm
  • E-band (Extended) from 1360 to 1460 nm
  • S-band (Short wavelength) from 1460 to 1530 nm
  • C-band (Conventional) from 1530 to 1565 nm
  • L-band (Long wavelength) from 1565 to 1625 nm
  • U-band (Ultra-long wavelength) from 1625 to 1675 nm

The wavelengths transmitted in multimode fibers are typically around 850 and 1310 nm, known originally as first window and second window.

O-band covers the second transmission window, whereas S, C, and L-bands cover the third transmission window. Presently, the vast majority of DWDM transmissions are done in the C-band.