IEEE 802.3 Single-mode Optical Fiber Ethernet Standards
There are three 9 µm-diameter single-mode optical fiber types recommended by TIA Standards for new installations:
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- Inside Plant (OS1a) single‑mode has the highest cabled attenuation of all options, 1.0 dB/km at 1310 nanometer (nm) and 1550 nm wavelengths, and supports indoor and short-haul local area network (LAN), data center, enterprise, and FTTx or “last mile” applications
- Outside Plant (OS2) single‑mode has the lowest cabled attenuation of all options, 0.4 dB/km at 1310 nm and 1550 nm, and is ideal for long-haul wide area network (WAN) applications
- Indoor-Outdoor single‑mode has a maximum cabled attenuation of 0.5 dB/km at 1310 nm and 1550 nm, which is less than OS1a but more than OS2, making it a good choice for between building and mid-haul metropolitan area network (MAN) applications
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All three fiber types are characterized as “low‑water peak”, meaning the maximum attenuation requirement at 1383 nm is equivalent to the maximum attenuation specified at 1310 nm. This constraint eliminates the concern that the fiber will have high loss in the 1360 nm to 1460 nm band caused by OH ions absorbed during the manufacturing process. Low‑water peak characterization is critical to ensure support of applications that rely on wavelength‑division multiplexing (WDM) transmission schemes. Optional bend insensitive single‑mode optical fibers have a lower index of refraction material surrounding the fiber that reflects light back into the core and are recommended when the optical fibers or cables have to support bend radii less than 1 in (25 mm).
Single‑mode optical fiber connectors require greater mechanical precision for proper alignment and higher wavelength transmitters consume more power, so single‑mode optical fiber networks and equipment tend to cost more than multimode systems. On the other hand, only single‑mode optical fiber Ethernet networks have the extended transmission range necessary to support hyperscale data center, backbone, WAN, and MAN connections.
Desired data rate and operating range are the primary considerations when planning a single‑mode optical fiber infrastructure capable of supporting multiple generations of Ethernet applications. The single‑mode landscape is evolving, however. While single‑mode optical fiber transmission typically makes use of WDM schemes to increase throughput, some emerging short‑haul (e.g., 500 m) applications are beginning to specify more than 2‑fibers in parallel transmission schemes to provide a more economical path to achieving higher speed transmission in LAN environments.
IEEE 802.3 Single-mode Ethernet Applications
All fiber count IEEE 802.3 Ethernet single-mode applications:
| Application | No. of Fibers | Wavelength(s) | Operating Range1 | Standards Reference |
| 1000BASE-LX | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 5 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 38 |
| 10GBASE-ER | 2 | 1550 nm | 2 m to 40 km7 | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 52 |
| 10GBASE-LX4 | 2 | four WDM2 | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 53 |
| 10GBASE-LR | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 52 |
| 25GBASE-ER | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 40 km7 | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 114 |
| 25GBASE-LR | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 114 |
| 40GBASE-ER4 | 2 | four WDM3 | 2 m to 40 km7 | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 87 |
| 40GBASE-FR | 2 | 1550 nm | 2 m to 2 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 89 |
| 40GBASE-LR4 | 2 | four WDM3 | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 87 |
| 50GBASE-ER | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 40 km7 | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 139 |
| 50GBASE-FR | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 2 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 139 |
| 50GBASE-LR | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 139 |
| 100GBASE-DR | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 500 m | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 140 |
| 100GBASE-ER4 | 2 | four WDM4 | 2 m to 40 km7 | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 88 |
| 100GBASE-FR1 | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 2 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 140 |
| 100GBASE-LR1 | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 140 |
| 100GBASE-LR4 | 2 | four WDM4 | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 88 |
| 100GBASE-ZR | 2 | DWDM6 | 2 m to 80 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 154 |
| 200GBASE-DR4 | 8 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 500 m | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 121 |
| 200GBASE-ER4 | 2 | four WDM4 | 2 m to 40 km7 | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 122 |
| 200GBASE-FR4 | 2 | four WDM3 | 2 m to 2 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 122 |
| 200GBASE-LR4 | 2 | four WDM4 | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 122 |
| 400GBASE-DR4 | 8 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 500 m | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 124 |
| 400GBASE-DR4-2 | 8 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 2 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 124 |
| 400GBASE-ER8 | 2 | eight WDM5 | 2 m to 40 km7 | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 122 |
| 400GBASE-FR4 | 2 | four WDM3 | 2 m to 2 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 151 |
| 400GBASE-FR8 | 2 | eight WDM5 | 2 m to 2 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 122 |
| 400GBASE-LR4-6 | 2 | four WDM3 | 2 m to 6 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 151 |
| 400GBASE-LR8 | 2 | eight WDM5 | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 122 |
| 800GBASE-DR8 | 16 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 500 m | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 124 |
| 800GBASE-DR8-2 | 16 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 2 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 124 |
| 1 Operating range varies according to the type of single-mode optical fiber cable used. 2 1275.7 nm, 1300.2 nm, 1324.7 nm, and 1349.2 nm 3 1271 nm, 1291 nm, 1311 nm, and 1331 nm 4 1295.56 nm, 1300.05 nm, 1304.58 nm, and 1309.14 nm 5 1273.54 nm, 1277.89 nm, 1282.26 nm, 1286.66 nm, 1295.56 nm, 1300.05 nm, 1304.58 nm, and 1309.14 nm 6 up to 48 channels between 1528.77 nm and 1566.31 nm over a DWDM “black link” 7 Links longer than 30 km for the same link power budget are considered engineered links and must not exceed specified insertion loss. |
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IEEE 802.3 Ethernet single-mode LAN applications:
| Application | No. of Fibers | Wavelength(s) | Operating Range1 | Standards Reference |
| 1000BASE-LX | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 5 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 38 |
| 40GBASE-FR | 2 | 1550 nm | 2 m to 2 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 89 |
| 50GBASE-FR | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 2 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 139 |
| 100GBASE-DR | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 500 m | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 140 |
| 100GBASE-FR1 | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 2 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 140 |
| 200GBASE-DR4 | 8 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 500 m | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 121 |
| 200GBASE-FR4 | 2 | four WDM2 | 2 m to 2 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 122 |
| 400GBASE-DR4 | 8 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 500 m | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 124 |
| 400GBASE-DR4-2 | 8 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 2 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 124 |
| 400GBASE-FR4 | 2 | four WDM2 | 2 m to 2 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 151 |
| 400GBASE-FR8 | 2 | eight WDM3 | 2 m to 2 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 122 |
| 400GBASE-LR4-6 | 2 | four WDM2 | 2 m to 6 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 151 |
| 800GBASE-DR8 | 16 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 500 m | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 124 |
| 800GBASE-DR8-2 | 16 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 2 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 124 |
| 1 Operating range varies according to the type of single-mode optical fiber cable used. 2 1271 nm, 1291 nm, 1311 nm, and 1331 nm 3 1273.54 nm, 1277.89 nm, 1282.26 nm, 1286.66 nm, 1295.56 nm, 1300.05 nm, 1304.58 nm, and 1309.14 nm |
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IEEE 802.3 Ethernet single-mode MAN applications:
| Application | No. of Fibers | Wavelength(s) | Operating Range1 | Standards Reference |
| 10GBASE-LX4 | 2 | four WDM2 | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 53 |
| 10GBASE-LR | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 52 |
| 25GBASE-LR | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 114 |
| 40GBASE-LR4 | 2 | four WDM3 | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 87 |
| 50GBASE-LR | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 139 |
| 100GBASE-LR1 | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 140 |
| 100GBASE-LR4 | 2 | four WDM4 | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 88 |
| 200GBASE-LR4 | 2 | four WDM4 | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 122 |
| 400GBASE-LR8 | 2 | eight WDM5 | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 122 |
| 1 Operating range varies according to the type of single-mode optical fiber cable used. 2 1275.7 nm, 1300.2 nm, 1324.7 nm, and 1349.2 nm 3 1271 nm, 1291 nm, 1311 nm, and 1331 nm 4 1295.56 nm, 1300.05 nm, 1304.58 nm, and 1309.14 nm 5 1273.54 nm, 1277.89 nm, 1282.26 nm, 1286.66 nm, 1295.56 nm, 1300.05 nm, 1304.58 nm, and 1309.14 nm |
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IEEE 802.3 Ethernet single-mode WAN applications:
| Application | No. of Fibers | Wavelength(s) | Operating Range1 | Standards Reference |
| 10GBASE-ER | 2 | 1550 nm | 2 m to 40 km6 | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 52 |
| 25GBASE-ER | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 40 km6 | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 114 |
| 40GBASE-ER4 | 2 | four WDM2 | 2 m to 40 km6 | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 87 |
| 50GBASE-ER | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 40 km6 | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 139 |
| 100GBASE-ER4 | 2 | four WDM3 | 2 m to 40 km6 | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 88 |
| 100GBASE-ZR | 2 | DWDM5 | 2 m to 80 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 154 |
| 200GBASE-ER4 | 2 | four WDM3 | 2 m to 40 km6 | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 122 |
| 400GBASE-ER8 | 2 | eight WDM4 | 2 m to 40 km6 | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 122 |
| 1 Operating range varies according to the type of single-mode optical fiber cable used. 2 1271 nm, 1291 nm, 1311 nm, and 1331 nm 3 1295.56 nm, 1300.05 nm, 1304.58 nm, and 1309.14 nm 4 1273.54 nm, 1277.89 nm, 1282.26 nm, 1286.66 nm, 1295.56 nm, 1300.05 nm, 1304.58 nm, and 1309.14 nm 5 up to 48 channels between 1528.77 nm and 1566.31 nm over a DWDM “black link” 6 Links longer than 30 km for the same link power budget are considered engineered links and must not exceed specified insertion loss. |
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1 Gb/s IEEE 802.3 Ethernet single-mode applications:
| Application | No. of Fibers | Wavelength(s) | Operating Range1 | Standards Reference |
| 1000BASE-LX | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 5 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 38 |
| 1 Operating range varies according to the type of single-mode optical fiber cable used. | ||||
10 Gb/s IEEE 802.3 Ethernet single-mode applications:
| Application | No. of Fibers | Wavelength(s) | Operating Range1 | Standards Reference |
| 10GBASE-ER | 2 | 1550 nm | 2 m to 40 km3 | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 52 |
| 10GBASE-LX4 | 2 | four WDM2 | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 53 |
| 10GBASE-LR | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 52 |
| 1 Operating range varies according to the type of single-mode optical fiber cable used. 21275.7 nm, 1300.2 nm, 1324.7 nm, and 1349.2 nm 3 Links longer than 30 km for the same link power budget are considered engineered links and must not exceed specified insertion loss. |
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25 Gb/s IEEE 802.3 Ethernet single-mode applications:
| Application | No. of Fibers | Wavelength(s) | Operating Range1 | Standards Reference |
| 25GBASE-ER | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 40 km2 | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 114 |
| 25GBASE-LR | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 114 |
| 1 Operating range varies according to the type of single-mode optical fiber cable used. 2 Links longer than 30 km for the same link power budget are considered engineered links and must not exceed specified insertion loss. |
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40 Gb/s IEEE 802.3 Ethernet single-mode applications:
| Application | No. of Fibers | Wavelength(s) | Operating Range1 | Standards Reference |
| 40GBASE-ER4 | 2 | four WDM2 | 2 m to 40 km3 | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 87 |
| 40GBASE-FR | 2 | 1550 nm | 2 m to 2 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 89 |
| 40GBASE-LR4 | 2 | four WDM2 | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 87 |
| 1 Operating range varies according to the type of single-mode optical fiber cable used. 2 1271 nm, 1291 nm, 1311 nm, and 1331 nm 3 Links longer than 30 km for the same link power budget are considered engineered links and must not exceed specified insertion loss. |
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50 Gb/s IEEE 802.3 Ethernet single-mode applications:
| Application | No. of Fibers | Wavelength(s) | Operating Range1 | Standards Reference |
| 50GBASE-ER | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 40 km2 | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 139 |
| 50GBASE-FR | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 2 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 139 |
| 50GBASE-LR | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 139 |
| 1 Operating range varies according to the type of single-mode optical fiber cable used. 2 Links longer than 30 km for the same link power budget are considered engineered links and must not exceed specified insertion loss. |
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100 Gb/s IEEE 802.3 Ethernet single-mode applications:
| Application | No. of Fibers | Wavelength(s) | Operating Range1 | Standards Reference |
| 100GBASE-DR | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 500 m | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 140 |
| 100GBASE-ER4 | 2 | four WDM2 | 2 m to 40 km7 | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 88 |
| 100GBASE-FR1 | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 2 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 140 |
| 100GBASE-LR1 | 2 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 140 |
| 100GBASE-LR4 | 2 | four WDM2 | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 88 |
| 100GBASE-ZR | 2 | DWDM3 | 2 m to 80 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 154 |
| 1 Operating range varies according to the type of single-mode optical fiber cable used. 2 1295.56 nm, 1300.05 nm, 1304.58 nm, and 1309.14 nm 3 up to 48 channels between 1528.77 nm and 1566.31 nm over a DWDM “black link” 4 Links longer than 30 km for the same link power budget are considered engineered links and must not exceed specified insertion loss. |
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200 Gb/s IEEE 802.3 Ethernet single-mode applications:
| Application | No. of Fibers | Wavelength(s) | Operating Range1 | Standards Reference |
| 200GBASE-DR4 | 8 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 500 m | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 121 |
| 200GBASE-ER4 | 2 | four WDM2 | 2 m to 40 km4 | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 122 |
| 200GBASE-FR4 | 2 | four WDM3 | 2 m to 2 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 122 |
| 200GBASE-LR4 | 2 | four WDM2 | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 122 |
| 1 Operating range varies according to the type of single-mode optical fiber cable used. 2 1295.56 nm, 1300.05 nm, 1304.58 nm, and 1309.14 nm 3 1271 nm, 1291 nm, 1311 nm, and 1331 nm 4 Links longer than 30 km for the same link power budget are considered engineered links and must not exceed specified insertion loss. |
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400 Gb/s IEEE 802.3 Ethernet single-mode applications:
| Application | No. of Fibers | Wavelength(s) | Operating Range1 | Standards Reference |
| 400GBASE-DR4 | 8 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 500 m | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 124 |
| 400GBASE-DR4-2 | 8 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 2 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 124 |
| 400GBASE-ER8 | 2 | eight WDM2 | 2 m to 40 km4 | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 122 |
| 400GBASE-FR4 | 2 | four WDM3 | 2 m to 2 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 151 |
| 400GBASE-FR8 | 2 | eight WDM2 | 2 m to 2 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 122 |
| 400GBASE-LR4-6 | 2 | four WDM3 | 2 m to 6 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 151 |
| 400GBASE-LR8 | 2 | eight WDM2 | 2 m to 10 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 122 |
| 1 Operating range varies according to the type of single-mode optical fiber cable used. 2 1273.54 nm, 1277.89 nm, 1282.26 nm, 1286.66 nm, 1295.56 nm, 1300.05 nm, 1304.58 nm, and 1309.14 nm 3 1271 nm, 1291 nm, 1311 nm, and 1331 nm 4 Links longer than 30 km for the same link power budget are considered engineered links and must not exceed specified insertion loss. |
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800 Gb/s IEEE 802.3 Ethernet single-mode applications:
| Application | No. of Fibers | Wavelength(s) | Operating Range1 | Standards Reference |
| 800GBASE-DR8 | 16 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 500 m | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 124 |
| 800GBASE-DR8-2 | 16 | 1310 nm | 2 m to 2 km | IEEE Std 802.3, Clause 124 |
| 1 Operating range varies according to the type of single-mode optical fiber cable used. | ||||