Fiberband

Fiberband is a term used in fiber optic technology to describe the usable spectral region of wavelengths that a fiber or optical link can propagate with acceptable loss, dispersion, and nonlinearity. In practice, a fiberband is associated with low-attenuation windows of the transmission medium and with the wavelength ranges used by the system's optics and amplifiers. The concept is often invoked in discussions of wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) to denote the chosen bands on which data channels are carried.

Common spectral bands in silica fibers include the O-band (approximately 1260–1360 nm), E-band (1360–1460 nm), S-band (1460–1530 nm), C-band (1530–1565 nm), and L-band (1565–1625 nm). The C-band is the most widely used for long-haul and metro networks because it offers low loss and compatibility with erbium-doped fiber amplifiers.

Factors that influence a fiberband include the fiber design (core diameter, refractive index profile), material attenuation, dispersion properties, and nonlinearity. The available fiberband definitions can differ between standard telecom-grade silica fibers and specialty fibers such as ultra-low loss fibers or fiber with nonzero dispersion shift.

Limitations: A fiberband is not a formal technical standard; definitions vary among manufacturers. The term should be clarified in context (band boundaries, acceptable loss, and dispersion targets).

See also: wavelength-division multiplexing, optical fiber, bandwidth, attenuation window. The term is mostly used in industry and internal engineering documents; in literature it is more common to refer to transmission bands or spectral windows.