All You Need to Know About Fiber Optics

Estimating the economic impact of the Internet is a formidable feat; Cisco came up with 19 trillion dollars - 21% of all the money in the world. So, with access to a resource this valuable, why not to make the most of it.

Fiber optic cabling can help everyone to do so. Fiber optic cables are a type of network cable that contain small strands of glass fibers, each wrapped in an insulated casing. These fibers, not much thicker than a human hair, transmit data by providing a pathway for it to travel through. These signals are maintained by the light being reflected by the cladding - a layer of glass that surrounds the core to insulate it.

This is a very efficient way to transmit data; light is famous for being fast, after all. Moreover, fiber optic cables can support a higher bandwidth as well as keep transmitted data more stable over longer distances. A lot of the infrastructure that now we utilize every day is supported by fiber optic cabling, including a lot of the Internet, telephone systems, and cable television.

The advantages of using fiber optic cabling include:

• Higher Data Capacities - A fiber optic cable is capable of carrying far more data than copper cables could and can transmit 10 Gbps, 40 Gbps, and 100 Gbps.
• Longer Distance - Light can go much further without losing its strength, terminating the need for as many signal boosters.
• Less Interference - By its nature, copper cabling is vulnerable to external electromagnetic interference, and the shielding that is implemented to prevent this interference isn’t always effective. Fiber optic cable isn’t vulnerable, and so interference of this kind isn’t a problem.

This makes fiber-optic cabling the preferred choice for long-distance connections, but some Internet providers use it for direct access for customers. Here are the ways these cables are deployed:

• Fiber to the Premises (FTTP) - Fiber used to deliver media services to residential buildings.
• Fiber to the Building/Block/Premises (FTTB) - Fiber optic cables used to support commercial buildings.
• Fiber to the Curb of a Node (FTTC/N) - This cable is connected to a node, which then uses copper cables to connect to customers.
• Direct fiber - The fiber optic cable that runs directly from the central hub to the customer, which costs a pretty penny.
• Shared fiber - Basically the same as direct fiber, but split to serve multiple customers.

While it is possible to get a fiber optic connection to your business, it is extremely costly to do - prohibitively expensive, in fact. With the costs that it comes with, it may only become an option if your provider is actively rolling out a new infrastructure.

To learn more about the technology that powers today’s businesses, and how you can put it to use for you, keep reading our Macro Systems blog!