Pros and Cons of Using Fiber Optic Cables

Fiber optic cables are the perfect example of the synergy of engineering and applied science. Largely used in the telecommunication sector, these cables allow the transmission of data by using light instead of electrical signals. If you ever bought a fiber optic lamp (they were really popular in the 1980s), you have already seen fiber optic cables at work. The fibers are thinner than a human hair and allow light to be transmitted from one point to another through phenomena of total internal reflection. These fibers are bundled into cables to make fiber optical cables.

Traditionally, the telecommunication industry has relied on copper based cables for the transmission of data. However, these cables have been steadily replaced with fiber optic cables. In fact, all the oceans of the world are lined with submarine fiber optic cables. These form the backbone of the worldwide telecommunication network. However, less than one percent of home users are connected to their Internet Service Provider through fiber optic cables. Why is it that fiber optic cables have replaced copper cables in the commercial sector but have not yet managed to penetrate the domestic sector? We need to take a look at the pros and cons of using fiber optic cables in order to understand why this is so.

Pros of Fiber Optic Cables

Fiber optic cables offer a number of significant advantages over copper cables. Let us take a look at them.

• Bandwidth and Speed: Fiber optic cables can carry a lot more data at speeds that far exceed the capabilities of copper cables. At present, most copper cables operate at a capacity of 50 megabits per second. Contrast this with present day optical networks that are capable of speeds of one terabit per second and you can see how copper cables are terribly outmatched when it comes to speed and bandwidth.
• Signal Degradation: Fiber optic cables are susceptible to far less signal degradation due to external and internal interference as compared to copper cables. This implies that they can be used to transfer data over much larger distances as compared to copper cables.
• Size: Fiber optic cables are not only thinner than copper cables, but they also weigh far less. A mile of fiber optic cable will weigh around 22 pounds, while a mile of copper cable will weigh a whopping 3,600 pounds. This makes a massive difference to the costs involved in handling and working with these cables.

Cons of Fiber Optic Cables

Although this explains why there are thousands of miles of fiber optic cables crisscrossing the seabed, why are these cables not used in the domestic sector? Following are the cons of fiber optic cables:

• Installation Costs: Although fiber optical cables are cheaper than copper cables, the costs involved in installing these cables are far higher due to the specialized equipment and expertise that is required. This is why, although they are commercially viable for large installations, they are not very popular in the domestic sector.
• Inability to Bend: Fiber optic cables are very good when they are out in straight lines. However, when you try to bend them too sharply, the signal quality is greatly affected. This makes them not very easy to use in the domestic sector where they have to be bent to fit the contours of existing building spaces.