Fiber Optic Cable & Photonic Interconnects worked example

Cost Per Optical Link at 72% chargeable link-cost share: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop chargeable link-cost share to 72%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Estimate optical link cost from link count, cost per link, scope share, and fixed test or integration cost.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Optical links or ports in scope: 96 links (held at the documented default)
  • Cost per optical link: 18 $ / link (held at the documented default)
  • Chargeable link-cost share: 72 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 100)
  • Fixed link setup, test, or documentation cost: 350 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Optical link cost = links in scope × cost per link × chargeable share + fixed link cost.
  • Total optical link cost works out to 1,594 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Average cost per optical link works out to 16.61 $ / link at these inputs.
  • Variable optical link cost works out to 1,244 $ at these inputs.
  • Fixed link setup/test cost works out to 350 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where chargeable link-cost share sits at 100% and the headline result is 2,078 $, this scenario comes in 23.28% below the baseline at 1,594 $.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to chargeable link-cost share, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It treats every link as equal cost; mixing singlemode APC and multimode connectors in one scope hides real per-type differences.

Results at a glance

  • Total optical link cost: 1,594 $ (headline result)
  • Average cost per optical link: 16.61 $ / link
  • Variable optical link cost: 1,244 $
  • Fixed link setup/test cost: 350 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Cost Per Optical Link calculator, set chargeable link-cost share to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.