Reveal of the cost of 10Gtek Cabling
There are two types of optical cable you could choose for a communication deployment, the SMF (Single-mode Fiber) and MMF (Multi-mode Fiber). Generally, SMF itself is cheaper than MMF, but it could be different when it comes to a whole set of deployment. We are going to talk about it base on the following aspects.
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Transceiver Cost
Compared to single-mode transceivers, the price of multi-mode transceivers is nearly half or quarter. The following table takes 10Gtek Cisco compatible single-mode transceivers and multi-mode transceivers as an example.
| Speed | Transceiver | Transceiver Description | Price | Price Difference |
| 1G | Single-mode SFP | Cisco GLC-LH-SM Compatible 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP 1310nm 10km Transceiver | US$ 11.99 | US$ 1.40 |
| Multi-mode SFP | Cisco GLC-SX-MM Compatible 1000BASE-SX SFP 850nm 550m Transceiver | US$ 10.59 | ||
| 10G | Single-mode SFP+ | Cisco SFP-10G-LR Compatible 10GBASE-LR SFP+ 1310nm 10km Transceiver | US$ 49.00 | US$ 29.01 |
| Multi-mode SFP+ | Cisco SFP-10G-SR Compatible 10GBASE-SR SFP+ 850nm 300m Transceiver | US$ 19.99 | ||
| 40G | Single-mode QSFP+ | Cisco QSFP-40G-LR4 Compatible 40GBASE-LR4 and OTU3 QSFP+ 1310nm 10km LC CWDM Transceiver | US$ 549.00 | US$ 460.00 |
| Multi-mode QSFP+ | Cisco QSFP-40G-SR4 Compatible 40GBASE-SR4 QSFP+ 850nm 150m MTP/MPO Transceiver | US$ 89.00 |
From the table, we can see that the price difference gains greatly with the speed increasing.
System Cost
To utilize the fundamental attributes of single-mode fibers, which are generally geared towards long distance applications, requires transceivers with lasers that operate at longer wavelengths with smaller spot-size and generally narrower spectral width. These transceiver characteristics combined with the need for higher-precision alignment and tighter connector tolerances to smaller core diameters result in significantly higher transceiver costs and overall higher interconnect costs for single-mode fiber interconnects.
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For the manufacturer, It’s more easily to produce VCSEL based transceivers that are optimized for multi-mode fibers, and the cost for it is lower than equivalent single-mode transceivers. Despite the use of multiple fiber lanes and multi-transceivers arrays, there is significant cost saving comparing to single-mode technology that is using single or multi channel operation on simplex-duplex connectivity.
Installation Cost
In general, the cost of Single-mode cable is less than multi-mode cable. Let’s say you want to deploy a 1G fiber optic network and reach 10Gbps or faster, then you could save about half-price by means of the lower price of single-mode.
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Conclusion
Both single-mode optical fiber and multi-mode optical fiber have their own features. Single-mode fiber cabling system is suitable for long-reach data transmission applications and widely deployed in carrier networks, MANs and PONs. Multi-mode fiber cabling system has a shorter reach and is widely deployed in enterprise data centers and LANs. No matter single-mode system or multi-mode system, you should choose the one that best meets the demand of your network.
10Gtek is a professional manufacturer in Shenzhen, China, providing compatible optical modules, DAC, AOC, switch, and related accessories to customers worldwide. For more information please visit www.10gtek.com or browse http://www.sfpcables.com/.
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