Deployment techniques and link budget analysis of fiber backbone networks in Ghana

Abstract

Fiber backbone is almost at the verge of replacing the microwave link completely owing to the high demand for capacity. To achieve this high capacity with fiber in other to reduce complaints of poor quality of service, proper deployment techniques must be employed by network operators. This project delves into the network elements, their installations and their interconnection topologies of the various fiber backbones deployed by all the network operators in Ghana. The analytic method was used for the work. Link budget analysis was done over the existing links of the backbone of all the network operators to obtain the losses in the links. After the analysis it was observed that the duct method of installation had lesser losses than the direct buried method due to it being less prone to fiber cut. Both duct and direct buried methods of installation should be used depending on the environment between two nodes. This will help cut down the cost of installation. Also engineers should comply with regulations on deployment. They should ensure that factors which will lead to a reduced performance of the fiber such as poor termination of the cable, splicing fallen outside its defined range of 0- 0.05dB, shallow burial depth, bends, absence of warning tapes and poor laying of cable are avoided.