The document discusses optical amplifiers, focusing on their role in long-haul data transmission where they mitigate transmission impairments like attenuation and noise. It highlights various types of optical amplifiers, specifically emphasizing the erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) as the most commonly used technology in telecommunications since its invention in 1987. The EDFA's characteristics allow it to amplify multiple signals simultaneously and function in different roles such as a booster, inline amplifier, or pre-amplifier along optical transmission lines.