What is the switch for optical access called

The switch used for optical access is commonly called an optical switch or a fiber-optic switch.An optical switch is a device that routes light signals from one fiber-optic path to another without converting them into electrical signals, enabling high-speed, low-latency data transmission in fiber-optic networks . These switches operate at the physical layer, maintaining the signal in its optical form, which allows them to support any data rate or protocol and avoid the delays and energy costs associated with optical-electrical-optical (OEO) conversion .Types of Optical Access SwitchesAll-optical Ethernet switches: These switches have entirely optical ports, eliminating the need for electrical conversion at the switch level. They are ideal for high-performance networks, including data centers and enterprise backbones, and support high-speed interfaces such as 10G, 25G, 40G, and 100G .Fiber-optic network switches: These switches combine multiple fiber-optic ports and sometimes copper ports, allowing flexible connectivity for access networks. They can include SFP/SFP+ or QSFP/QSFP28 slots for high-speed fiber connections .MEMS-based optical switches: Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) switches use microscopic mirrors to redirect light beams precisely between fibers, providing reliable and scalable optical routing .ApplicationsOptical switches are widely used in telecommunications, data centers, and high-speed optical networks. They enable dynamic routing of optical signals, reduce latency, and improve energy efficiency by keeping data in the optical domain . In access networks, these switches connect end-user devices or servers to the optical backbone, forming the first point of optical signal distribution. In summary, the device used for optical access is generally referred to as an optical switch or fiber-optic switch, with variations such as all-optical Ethernet switches or MEMS-based switches depending on the network requirements and technology used .