ABSTRACT

Optical cable cannot be used on its own to create a viable commu­ nications network. The cable has to be terminated with connectors, joined by splices and all have to be protected and managed within wall and rack mounted patchpanels, joints and other ancillary equip­ ment. Telecommunications optical networks use more esoteric com­ ponents such as optical splitters, wavelength division multiplexers and erbium doped optical amplifiers.