FIGURE 2: Passive optical LAN healthcare network design with 2 to 4 strands of optical fiber per room rather than the 12 to 24
Cat 6A cables per room associated with a copper-based design.
are replaced with passive equipment (i.e., splitters and
panels) that do not consume energy and do not require
maintenance. With POL, the OLT is the only active
element that requires maintenance. The entire network
can be easily managed from one central point (Figure 2).
The passive optical LAN is currently based on the
simultaneous support of 2.5 Gb/sec/1 Gb/sec G-PON,
10 Gb/sec/10 Gb/sec symmetrical XGS-PON and advanced
IEEE Ethernet protocols. It is optimized for modern network
connectivity inside buildings and across campuses,
and it ensures maximum network reliability that is imperative
for physicians and hospitals engaged in critical care
over the network. Moreover, POL is a more defensible
48 I ICT TODAY
Patient Rooms
Patient Rooms
Patient Rooms
Operating Room
Operating Room
Nurse
Call Station
Waiting Room
Radiology
Main Data Center
where the OLT
is located
network architecture for the greatest protection of patient
electronic medical files and is a smart choice for hospital
high-speed connectivity for patients, families, and admin-
istrative and medical staff.
Compared to copper-based cabling, optical fiber
cabling provides many unique benefits, including higher
capacity, reliability, resilience and data security. Consider
the following overview of the benefits and capabilities
of optical fiber and POL:
Better Bandwidth Capacity
Historically, copper cabling has not kept pace with the
bandwidth demands of healthcare facilities. Over the past