Non-uniform splitters are custom-manufactured, so they cost 2–3x more than uniform splitters. They also require careful planning to avoid overloading nearby ports or starving distant ones. In passive optical networks (PONs), optical splitters are essential for distributing signals from a central optical line terminal (OLT) to multiple optical network units (ONUs), enabling efficient fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), fiber-to-the-building (FTTB), and enterprise broadband deployments. Optical splitters represent a more established technology with passive 1×N and 2×N configurations dominating the market. You often need to pick between different optical splitter types, specifically PLC and FBT splitters, for your network. In specific configuration scenarios, split configurations below 1×4 are advised to use FBT splitter, while split configurations above 1×8 are recommended for. Modern PLC splitters typically range from $20 to $200, with pricing primarily influenced by the splitting ratio (1:2, 1:4, 1:8, 1:16, 1:32, or 1:64), insertion loss specifications, and manufacturing quality.
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