Fiber
For Wireless - Introduction
Objectives:
From this self-study program you should learn:
- How
wireless
networks are growing and require more backbone
capacity
- How
cellular systems architectures are evolving to use
more fiber optics to and up the cell tower
- How
small cells are becoming the urban solution for
wireless
- How
distributed antenna systems are used in large public
facilities
- How
WiFi is used with premises cabling in enterprise LANs,
urban and rural areas
- What
are the alternative technologies to cellular and WiFi
wireless
Introduction
Today's users of mobile devices depend on wireless
connections for their voice, data and even video
communications. Even homes and businesses may depend
on wireless, especially those who are not in urban
or suburban areas served by FTTH (fiber to the home)
or FTTC (fiber to the curb.) Some of us in the
business now use the term FTTW for fiber to
wireless, since wireless depends on fiber for the
communications backbone and increasingly the
connection to the wireless antennas, no matter what
kinds of wireless we use.
Wireless is not entirely wireless. The easiest way
to understand wireless is to think of it as a link
that replaces the cable that used to connect your
phone to the phone system or the patchcord that
connected your computer to the Internet. To
understand wireless, it is necessary to look at
several different and unique types of wireless
systems, including cellular wireless phones,
wireless in premises cabling, municipal or private
wireless links and even some of the short distance
links used for computer peripheral connections.
This lesson will give you an
overview of cellular and WiFi networks and some of
their applications.
Assignments
You
will be instructed to read the references or watch videos
and take the quiz (Test Your Knowledge) to complete the
"classroom" part of the course.
Get
Started: Read
The Online FOA Reference
FOA
Reference Guide, Fiber For Wireless
Test
Your Knowledge - Fiber
For Wireless-Introduction - Quiz.
Lesson
Plans
Read
the materials or watch the videos linked on each lesson
plan and take the quiz.
Lesson 1: Overview - How Wireless Networks Use
Fiber Optics
Lesson 2: Fiber
To The Cell Site And
Fiber To The Antenna
Lesson
3: Distributed Antenna
Systems (DAS)
Lesson
4: Small Cells
Lesson 5:
WiFi - Enterprise, Urban and Rural
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