Differences of OM1, OM2, OM3 and OM4 cables

Some customers cannot make sure which type of multimode fiber they need to choose. Below are the details of different types for your reference.

There are different categories of graded-index multimode glass fiber cable, including OM1, OM2, OM3 and OM4 cables (OM stands for optical multi-mode). OM1 specifies 62.5-micron cable and OM2 specifies 50-micron cable. These are commonly used in premises applications for shorter reach 1Gb/s networks. But OM1 and OM2 cable are not suitable for today’s higher-speed networks. OM3 and OM4 are both laser-optimized multimode fiber (LOMMF) and were developed to accommodate faster fiber optic networking such as 10, 40, and 100 Gbps. Both are designed for use with 850-nm VCSELS (vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers) and have aqua sheaths.

OM3 specifies an 850-nm laser-optimized 50-micron cable with an effective modal bandwidth (EMB) of 2000 MHz/km. It can support 10-Gbps link distances up to 300 meters. OM4 specifies a high-bandwidth 850-nm laser-optimized 50-micron cable an effective modal bandwidth of 4700 MHz/km. It can support 10-Gbps link distances of 550 meters. 100 Gbps distances are 100 meters and 150 meters, respectively.