Fiber Optic – The Future Of Digital Networking And Communication
We are amidst a significant technological revolution in which older technologies such as the copper cables that have been a crucial and prominent medium for the construction of data networks are being pushed out with better, more efficient alternatives such as optical fiber.
Today, technologies like fiber optics have made communication and data transfer much quicker. FTTH allows home users to send and receive high definition images, voice messages, and videos at the speed of light over the super quick internet.
Fiber optic’s unique properties allow it to transmit data more quickly and safely from one place to another over long distances, which is something that copper networks lack. In this article, we are going to examine how and why fiber optics is the future of digital networking and communication:
The Advent Of Fiber Optics
The idea of fiber optic is by no mean new or fresh. Experts believe that the concept of fiber optics first emerged in 1800. Scientists John Tyndall, Alexander Graham Bell, and William Wheeler explored the idea of transmitting data at the speed of light. Many decades later, researchers Robert Maurer, Donald Keck, and Peter Schultz were finally able to create the fiber optic wires, which were then known as “Optical Waveguide Fibers.” The amazing thing about the fiber optic wires is that not only are they able to transmit data at the speed of light, but they are also able to carry 65,000 times more data than copper.
How Does Optical Fiber Work?
Fiber optic cables that are widely used in fiber optic network installation have numerous thin hair-like fibers that are made out of either glass or plastic. The fibers are made using a unique process that gives the fibers that are lightweight, flexible, and durable. The fibers transmit data in the form of light waves emitted from a laser or LED source.
The fiber optic cables or FTTH (Fiber To The Home) transmit data signals which connect the user to the various modes of communication along with the internet, telephone, and cable television. The thin optic cables are suitable for a broad range of cabling applications. Optical fibers are inherently smaller in width and lighter in weight compared to copper.
Furthermore, fiber optic communications are more reliable, measurable, and cost-efficient for businesses and home users.
The Future Of Digital Networking And Communication With Fiber Optics
Fiber Optics Are Faster
The data in the fiber optic cabling is in the form of light signals, which travel at a much higher speed over distances ranging from 550 meters up to 40 kilometers, copper cabling data transmission is limited by the speed of electrons and significant limitations in the distance data can travel.
Fiber optics will be able to manage growing data transmission need, and it will be a long time before the demand for faster speeds leaves behind optical fiber’s speed ability.
Fiber Optics Are Energy Efficient
Electrical transmission of data on copper requires a lot of energy, whereas, sending data in the form of light flashes take a considerably less amount of energy, which makes fiber optics more environmentally friendly and reduces the costs of operation significantly.