Radio over Plastic Optical Fibers

Abstract

In this thesis, recent advancements in radio over plastic optical fibers are reviewed. Plastic fibers are used in short-range and high data-rate communication systems. Plastic optical fibers are considered to be consumer-friendly as they are simpler to install, easy to maintain, have low bending losses and its associated optical components are inexpensive. Few of the challenges faced in employing optical fibers are its high attenuation and multi-modal dispersion, which limits the trans mission range. However, plastic fibers are considered to be a low-cost alternative to be employed in short-range Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) networks in compari son to commonly known glass or silica optical fiber. One of the most commonly employed plastic fiber is poly-methyl methacrylate (PMMA) plastic optical fiber. Advancement from 4G to 5G has also paved a way in for plastic fiber, where they can be employed for simultaneous multi-format transmissions supporting 5G networks in FTTH networks. This thesis further also discusses the evolution in multi-format transmission and its challenges, and also applications of plastic fiber in FTTH networks, where IoTs and sensors networks have paved their way in too. Also, the application of plastic fiber in distributed antenna systems and systems employing MIMO are discussed. Furthermore, the thesis discusses the challenges and future prospects of radio over plastic fibers to guide a way for further research to be carried out in this domain to improve the quality of transmission and linking it with other cutting edge technologies such as machine learning and blockchain