Table 1 Comparison between RF and OW systems
From: A review of communication-oriented optical wireless systems
| Â | OW | RF |
|---|---|---|
Bandwidth | Not regulated | Licensed |
Available line rates | < 10 Gb/s | < 1.25 Gb/s |
Path losses | High | High |
Multipath fading | No (large collector area) | Yes |
Multipath distortion | Only in diffuse indoor systems | Yes |
Noise sources | Ambient light | Interference from other users, electrical noise |
Detection type | Incoherent | Coherent/Incoherent |
SNR | Depends on optical signal power | Depends on RF signal amplitude |
Receiver sensitivity | Low | High |
Eye safety | Required | N/A |
Electromagnetic compatibility | Yes | Conditional |