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Basic Fiberoptics Technologies 31

Mbps standards. In newer PCs, 10/100-Mbps network interface cards
(NICs) have been installed because of uncertainty as to what the end
user’s wiring supports. This will change over time.
Just as the industry started to accept use of the 100-Mbps stan-
dards for Ethernet at the desktop, the next step in the evolution
arrived in 1998. Dubbed the Gigabit Ethernet (1,000 Mbps), the ini-
tial standard specified the use of fiber. The industry needed to
regroup and develop a new category of wire to support 1,000 Mbps.
This appeared in a higher-value (Category 6 or 7) wiring structure.
However, the same problem surfaced. If the user wants support for
the higher data rates, then rewiring will be necessary to the stations
that will use the gigabit speeds. Recognizing this problem, the
Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and the Electronics
Industry Association (EIA) developed work-around specifications so
as to use existing in-building wiring (Categories 3 and 5). This is not
a specific standard to support the faster data rates. Figure 2-2 illus-
trates the expected growth of Gigabit Ethernet in the corporate envi-
ronment.
Unfortunately, when the 10-Gbps Ethernet emerges as a standard
in the new millennium, the same issues will surface. The wiring in
place will not support the speeds, and some work-around techniques
will be required. Creative solutions are the mainstream these days.
Fiber in the backbone and to the desktop may well be a better
solution. Although the cost of the NIC for a workstation is more

5000
Figure 2-2
4500
Growth of Gigabit
4000
Ethernet
3500
3000
2500 In Millions $
2000
1500
1000
500
0
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002