FTTx Networks

Appendix C

Forward Error Correction

Another key concept applicable to just about any fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) or other data system is forward error correction (FEC)—the ability to detect and correct errors in the transmission of data. FEC allows us to transmit at lower signal powers and still get data through, as well as to sometimes get flawless data delivered even in the event of momentary interruptions in data (if the interruption is short enough), such as in the case of a burst of noise in a network. FEC doesn’t come for free, of course, in that in order to reap the benefits, we need to add processing to both ends of the network (not necessarily too burdensome today), and we lose some efficiency of communications, because we sacrifice some ...