1.1. A network cable that contains strands of glass fibers inside an insulated casing
1.2. They're designed for long-distance, high-performance data networking, and telecommunications
2. How It Works?
2.1. A fiber optic cable consists of one or more strands of glass, each only slightly thicker than a human hair. The center of each strand is called the core, which provides the pathway for light to travel
2.2. The core is surrounded by a layer of glass called cladding that reflects light inward to avoid loss of signal and allow the light to pass through bends in the cable
2.3. 2 primary types of optical fiber cables: Single mode & Multi-mode
2.4. Single mode: uses extremely thin glass strands and a laser to generate light
2.5. Multi-mode: use LED
3. Examples of Implementation
3.1. Some better-known fiber-to-the-home services in the market include Verizon FIOS and Google Fiber. These services can provide gigabit internet speeds to households.
3.2. FTTP (Fiber to the Premises): Fiber that's laid all the way to the building.
3.3. FTTC/N (Fiber to the Curb of Node): Fiber that is laid to the node but then copper wires complete the connection inside the building.
3.4. Direct fiber: Fiber that leaves the central office and is attached directly to one customer. This provides the greatest bandwidth, but direct fiber is expensive.
3.5. Shared fiber: Similar to direct fiber except that as the fiber approaches the premises of nearby customers, it splits into other optical fibers for those users.
4. Is fiber optic better than cable? Better depends upon your perspective. Since no electricity is involved, fiber optic internet is less likely to shut down during a power outage than other types of high-speed internet. Along with being more reliable, fiber optic internet is also faster—and more expensive—than traditional internet cables.
5. Weight: Fiber optic cables are much thinner and lighter than metal wires. They also occupy less space with cables of the same information capacity. Lighter weight makes fiber easier to install.
6. Advantages
6.1. Fiber optics support a higher capacity.
6.2. Because light can travel for much longer distances over a fiber cable without losing its strength, the need for signal boosters is lessened.
6.3. Less susceptible to interference. Fiber optic cables are immune to electromagnetic interference. It can also be run in electrically noisy environments without concern as electrical noise will not affect fiber.
6.4. Cost: The raw materials for glass are plentiful, unlike copper. This means glass can be made more cheaply than copper.
7. Disadvantages
7.1. Difficult to splice: The optical fibers are difficult to splice, and there are loss of the light in the fiber due to scattering. They have limited physical arc of cables. If you bend them too much, they will break.
7.2. Expensive to install: They have to be installed by the specialists. They are not as robust as the wires. Special test equipment is often required to the optical fiber.
7.3. Can't be curved: The transmission on the optical fiber requires repeating at distance intervals. The fibers can be broken or have transmission losses when wrapped around curves of only a few centimeters radius.
7.4. Highly susceptible: The fiber optic cable is a small and compact cable, and it is highly susceptible to becoming cut or damaged during installation or construction activities.
8. Extra Information
8.1. Fiber optic cable has three essential components: the core, the cladding, and the coating.
