Transmitting 10-gigabit/sec data rates up to 300 meters using 850-nanometer optics is possible on new, standardized 50/125-micron fiber, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA--www.tiaonline.org) has announced. The TIA recently approved the specifications as TIA/EIA-568B.3-1 "Additional Transmission Performance Specifications for 50/125-micron Optical Fiber Cables." The specifications are the first addendum to the 568B.3 standard.

"The new addendum was developed in conjunction with the emerging 10 Gbit/sec applications in Ethernet and Fibre Channel, so that this fiber could support these applications in commercial building cabling networks," said Bob Jensen, chair of TIA TR-42.

The new, "laser-optimized" fiber, as it is often called, supports the IEEE 802.3ae 10 Gigabit Ethernet standard and the emergent 10 Gigabit Fibre Channel standard to 300 meter distances. Multimode fibers that do not meet the specifications of the new addendum will support 10-Gbit/sec data rates, but for distances shorter than 300 meters.