Comment, with reply, on `Using spread-spectrum in a high-capacity fibre optic local network´ by G.J. Foschini and G. Vannucci

Among the practical problems mentioned as outstanding by G.J. Foschini and G. Vannucci (see ibid., vol. Lt-6, no.3, p.370-9, 1988) is that of optical power level uniformity requirements. Foschini and Vannucci suggest that this should not be an insurmountable problem, but the commentor claims there is important source of nonuniformity which they appear to have overlooked. In the discussion of star networks, the commenter argues that they dismiss the losses in the coupler as a mathematical inconvenience that would cancel in performance analyses. The commenter aims to show that this is not generally true. In replying, Foschini and Vannucci take issue with the commentor´s arguments and with the conclusions of D.B. Mortimore (1985), which serve as the basis of the commentor´s arguments