What Is OM5 Fiber?_
OM5 (also called wideband multimode fiber, WBMMF) is an enhanced multimode fiber standard that supports short-wavelength division multiplexing (SWDM) for higher bandwidth density over existing pathways. OM5 enables more wavelengths per fiber strand, reducing cable count for very high-density deployments. It is backwards compatible with OM4 transceivers.
Technical Details
OM5 extends the usable wavelength range beyond the traditional 850nm to include wavelengths from 850nm to 953nm. This allows SWDM technology to multiplex four wavelengths on a single fiber pair, effectively quadrupling capacity without adding physical fiber. OM5 uses the same 50/125 μm core/cladding as OM4 and is fully backwards compatible with existing OM4 transceivers and connectors. The primary advantage is future-proofing: as SWDM transceivers become more available, existing OM5 infrastructure can support higher speeds without re-cabling. OM5 fiber is identified by lime green jacket color.
How Leviathan Systems Works with OM5 Fiber
Leviathan Systems deploys OM5 fiber when clients require future-proofing for higher bandwidth density, particularly in new-build facilities planning for multi-generation GPU platform upgrades.