Comparing the snow effects on hybrid network using optical Wireless and GHz links

Abstract

The huge bandwidth of optical Wireless link motivates to use it for high data rate demanding communication applications. However, an appreciable high availability of the link is the basic requirement of any communication link. Free Space Optics (FSO) links are highly weather dependent. One of the important attenuating factors is snow that causes reduced the link availability. The use of back up link can provide the solution. Hybrid networks of Free Space Optics (FSO) link and back up link in the GHz frequency range improves the availability besides providing comparable data rates. The back up link should be nearly immune to different attenuation factors including snow for achieving carrier class availability. In this paper effects of dry snow on FSO and GHz frequency range links are studied so that frequencies with best complementary behaviour can be selected as a back up link. The specific attenuation of different FSO lengths has also been analysed using measured results.