Understanding Digital Infrastructure Fundamentals

Network architecture (fibre optics, wireless technologies)

Fibre optic network architecture layout & Cost Considerations 1. The architecture of a fibre optic network depends on the scale, application, and type of deployment (FTTH, FTTP, FTTB, etc.). The main types include: a) Point-to-Point (P2P) Description: A direct fibre link between two endpoints (e.g., a data centre to a business). Advantages: High bandwidth, low latency, secure. Disadvantages: High fibre and installation costs for long distances. Best for: Enterprise, high-speed data links, data centre interconnects. b) Passive Optical Network (PON) Description: Uses passive splitters to share a single fibre among multiple users. Advantages: Cost-efficient, less fibre required, scalable. Disadvantages: Shared bandwidth, limited range (~20 km per splitter). Best for: FTTH (Fibre-to-the-Home), FTTB (Fibre-to-the-Building), residential broadband. c) Active Optical Network (AON) Description: Uses active components (switches, routers) to direct traffic. Advantages: Dedicated bandwidth per user, longer range than PON. Disadvantages: Higher power and maintenance costs. Best for: Business and industrial networks needing dedicated capacity. d) Mesh & Ring Topologies Mesh: Highly redundant, used in critical networks like financial institutions. Ring: Common in metro and long-haul networks, providing redundancy via bidirectional paths.