Telecommunications

Advantages of Fiber Optic Networks

Optical fibers are hair-thin strands of ultra pure glass and a single pair of these fibers can carry hundreds of thousands of two-way telephone conversations. To compare that with traditional cable: A single 4.5 pound spool of fiber can carry the same amount of telephone messages as 200 reels of copper wire that weigh over 1600 pounds. By using laser light, sound, video and other data signals travel faster at higher frequencies, and the fiber can carry more than one set of these signals.

Fiber optic networks offer a wide range of benefits not offered by traditional cable. These include:

1. The ability to carry much more information and deliver it with greater fidelity.
2. Fiber optic cable can support much higher data rates at greater distances.
3. The fiber is totally immune to virtually all kinds of interference, including lightning, and can come in direct contact with high voltage electrical equipment and power lines.