Solutions & Applications
Telecom Network Sync · 5G Infrastructure · Data Center Connectivity · Optical Networks · Critical Networks
8Buildings
10G→100GBackbone Upgrade
60%Cost Savings vs. Carrier Fiber
1. The Challenge
A Fortune 500 manufacturer operates a 120-acre campus with 8 buildings — HQ, two R&D labs, three production facilities, a warehouse, and a data center. The existing backbone runs on a mix of OM3 multi-mode fiber (buildings within 300 m) and OS2 single-mode fiber (buildings up to 2 km apart). Most backbone links are still at 1G or 10G — far below what modern applications demand.
Wi-Fi 7 Rollout Pressure
The IT team is deploying Wi-Fi 7 access points across all buildings. Each AP requires a 10G uplink. With 200+ APs planned, the aggregate backbone demand exceeds 20 Gbps per building — saturating existing 10G links.
Mixed Fiber Plant
The campus has both OM3 MMF (short links) and OS2 SMF (long links) deployed over 15 years. Replacing MMF with SMF would cost $300,000+ and disrupt operations for 6 months. The solution must work with the existing fiber plant.
Vendor Lock-In
The existing network uses Cisco Catalyst and Arista switches. The IT team wants to avoid OEM-locked optics that cost 5–10x more than compatible alternatives, but they need guaranteed interoperability.
No Carrier Fiber Budget
Leasing dark fiber between buildings would cost $8,000/month. Management mandates using the existing campus-owned fiber.
2. Solution Architecture
| Link Type | Buildings Connected | Distance | Fiber Type | Target Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short intra-building | Floors within HQ / Labs | 30–100 m | OM3 MMF | 25G SFP28 SR |
| Medium inter-building | HQ ↔ R&D Labs / Production A ↔ B | 100–300 m | OM3 MMF | 100G QSFP28 SR4 |
| Long inter-building | Data Center ↔ HQ / Warehouse ↔ Production | 500 m – 2 km | OS2 SMF | 100G QSFP28 LR4 |
| Data Center uplink | Data Center ↔ Core Switch (HQ) | 1.5 km | OS2 SMF | 100G QSFP28 CWDM4 |
3. Product Selection Matrix
| Use Case | Product | Form Factor | Qty | Price (500pcs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floor switch uplinks (MMF) | 25G SFP28 SR | SFP28 | 96 | Competitive |
| Inter-building short (MMF) | 100G QSFP28 SR4 | QSFP28 | 32 | Competitive |
| Inter-building long (SMF) | 100G QSFP28 LR4 | QSFP28 | 24 | $78/unit |
| Data center uplink | 100G QSFP28 CWDM4 | QSFP28 | 8 | Competitive |
| Spare pool (10%) | All types | Mixed | 16 | — |
Total ports: 176 optics, one supplier, one support contact.
4. Key Benefits
60% cost savings vs. OEM-branded optics ($78 vs. $800+ per 100G-LR4)
$0 monthly carrier fiber OPEX — 100% campus-owned fiber
10× backbone bandwidth — from 10G to 100G per inter-building link
Mixed-mode ready — SR4 for MMF, LR4/CWDM4 for SMF, no fiber replacement needed
Wi-Fi 7 ready — 25G SFP28 uplinks for 200+ APs across 8 buildings
Single-vendor simplicity — 176 optics, one compatibility matrix, one warranty
5. Why Apex
| Capability | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Multi-vendor coding | All optics ship with Cisco + Arista compatible coding. No "unsupported transceiver" errors. Tested in our lab before shipping. |
| Mixed-mode portfolio | One supplier for SR4 (MMF) + LR4 (SMF) + CWDM4 (SMF/CWDM). No compatibility gaps. |
| Same-day shipping | 25G SFP28 SR and 100G QSFP28 SR4/LR4 stocked in depth. Emergency replacements ship same day. |
| Free fiber audit | Apex engineers audit your existing fiber plant — OTDR traces, connector inspection, link budget — before you order a single optic. |
Planning a campus network upgrade?
Our enterprise solutions team will audit your building topology, verify fiber compatibility, and deliver a complete BOM — typically within 48 hours.
Email: Info@apexallinone.com | WhatsApp/Phone: +852 9821 3834
