Overview
IEC TR 63098-1:2017 - Transmitting equipment for radiocommunication: Radio‑over‑fibre (RoF) technologies - Part 1: System applications of radio over fibre technology is a technical report from the IEC that surveys current and emerging applications of radio‑over‑fibre technology. It describes the basic concept of RoF, summarizes advantages and disadvantages, and introduces implemented or near‑term use cases in wireless communications, broadcasting and airport multilateration systems. The report is informational (no normative references) and is intended for system developers, equipment manufacturers, network operators and test laboratories.
Key topics and technical content
The report focuses on practical system aspects rather than prescriptive requirements. Key topics include:
- Basic concepts and technology overview - analogue RF‑over‑optical transmission, E/O and O/E functions, advantages such as low attenuation and RF multiplexing.
- Advantages and disadvantages of RoF - low propagation loss, low complexity and cost benefits, and trade‑offs inherent to analogue transmission.
- Practical applications and system configurations - detailed examples for:
- Mobile communication systems (including DAS and C‑RAN use cases)
- Relay stations for digital terrestrial television broadcasting (DTTB)
- Airport multilateration (MLAT) systems and advanced MLAT solutions
- System specifications and features - example tables and configuration diagrams describing link and system‑level specifications, optical feeder types (e.g., Multi Drop Optical Feeder – MoF), and RF multiplexing approaches (SCM).
- Measurement and compliance guidance - Annex A provides an example RoF link specification aligned with spectral emission masks (example: DTTB spectral mask), measurement items for factory and on‑site inspections, and example EO/OE performance metrics.
- Standardization context - overview of related standards activity and reference model figures that support interoperability and test planning.
Practical applications and users
IEC TR 63098-1 is valuable for:
- System designers and integrators building DAS, distributed antenna systems, C‑RAN front‑haul and broadcast relay solutions.
- Network operators and broadcasters planning RoF-based coverage extensions for cellular networks, cable-TV trunking, studio‑transmitter links (STL/TSL) and field pickup units (FPU).
- Aviation safety and airport systems teams evaluating RoF for multilateration positioning and surveillance.
- Test labs and certification bodies using the report’s measurement examples and spectral mask guidance to develop test plans.
Related standards
- Part of the IEC 63098 series on transmitting equipment for radiocommunication. IEC TR 63098‑1 is informational and complements other IEC documents that address performance standards, testing and conformity for RoF equipment.
Keywords: Radio‑over‑fibre, RoF, radio over fibre technology, distributed antenna system, DTTB, mobile communications, multilateration, C‑RAN, optical feeder, spectral mask.