458 Principles of Synchronous Digital Hierarchy
optical ber. It is virtually the same job that is being done by the SDH radios
but with a difference. The main differences in FSO systems with respect to
SDH radios are as follows:
(i) It has a very short range (up to 1 km or so) as compared with SDH
radios (up to 50 km or so); thus, it is not suitable for high distances.
The infrared and laser frequencies experience a high amount of
absorption in foggy weather or during heavy rains; thus, FSO is not
very suitable for areas where fog persists for long periods.
(ii) The equipment and antenna are very small, leading to very fast
installation. The antenna can be mounted just outside the window
(or even inside the window