What are fiber optics?

What are the advantages?

WHAT ARE FIBER OPTICS?

Fiber optics are simply strands of flexible glass as thin as human hair that are used for telecommuni-
cations. These strands carry digital signals with light. Even though these cables are made of glass, they
are not stiff and fragile. They can bend kind of like wires and are very strong. When hundreds or even
thousands of these strands are arranged in bundles, it is called an optical cable. The glass cables are
covered with a special protective coating called cladding. It is made from a material that reflects the light
back into the core or center of the cable. This cladding creates a mirror-lined wall. The final outer layer is
a buffer coating to protect this special glass cable from damage and moisture.

Single-mode and multi-mode are the two main types of fiber optic cable. Single-mode fiber cables send
signals using laser light. They are smaller in thickness than multi-mode. Multi-mode fibers send signals
using light-emitting diodes or LEDs. They are bigger in thickness or diameter than the single-mode
cables. Fiber optics work using the total internal reflection principle. When light is transmitted into the
glass cable, the light bounces off the reflective cladding on the sides of the glass cable, so the light can
travel around corners. In other words, the light bounces off the inside of the cable until it gets to its
destination.

There are more parts to the fiber optic system than the cables. The first thing is the transmitter. It
produces the signals that will travel through the cable. The optical regenerator is needed when the light
signal is weakened by traveling over a long distance and needs a re-boost or strengthening. Actually, the
light signal is copied and a new one with the same characteristics is sent by the regenerator. Finally,
there is the optical receiver. It receives the light signals and encodes them into a readable form for the
device at the end.

Fiber optics have lots of uses. The Internet uses fiber optic cables. It is a perfect application because it is
digital information and the fiber optic cables send digitally. Telephones were one of the first uses for fiber
optics. Many times internet and telephone signals travel over the same cables. Digital television (cable
TV) is often transmitted by fiber optic cables. Other uses are medical imaging, mechanical inspection.
And for inspecting plumbing and sewer lines.

Fiber optic cables without optical regenerators can be up to about one kilometer in length. With
regenerators, they can go on almost forever. They can be placed in buildings, up on power lines, buried in
the ground or even placed in the ocean. Fiber optic cables are not perfect; they can break. Sometimes
when crews are digging, they accidentally can tear up the cables. They can be repaired using a technique
called splicing. It is when a worker cuts off the broken ends and reconnects it using special adhesives,
heat, or special connectors.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES TO HAVING BROADBAND?

Why are fiber-optic systems revolutionizing telecommunications? Compared to conventional

metal wire (copper wire), optical fibers provide:

Digital signals: Optical fibers are ideally suited for carrying digital information, which is especially useful
in computer networks.
Higher carrying capacity: Because optical fibers are thinner than copper wires, more fibers can be
bundled into a given-diameter cable than copper wires. This allows more phone lines to go over the same
cable or more channels to come through the cable into your business or home.
Less signal degradation: The loss of signal in optical fiber is less than in copper wire.
Less expensive: Several miles of optical cable can be made cheaper than equivalent lengths of copper
wire. This saves your provider and you money.
Thinner: Optical fibers can be drawn to smaller diameters than copper wire.
Light signals: Unlike electrical signals in copper wires, light signals from one fiber do not interfere with
those of other fibers in the same cable. This means clearer phone conversations or TV reception.
Low power: Because signals in optical fibers degrade less, lower-power transmitters can be used instead
of the high-voltage electrical transmitters needed for copper wires. Again, this saves your provider and
you money.
Non-flammable: Because no electricity is passed through optical fibers, there is no fire hazard.
Lightweight: An optical cable weighs less than a comparable copper wire cable. Fiber-optic cables take
up less space in the ground.
Flexible: Because fiber optics are so flexible and can transmit and receive light, they are used in many
flexible digital cameras for medical imaging in bronchoscopes, endoscopes, laparoscopes; for
mechanical imaging used in inspecting mechanical welds in pipes and engines (in airplanes, rockets,
space shuttles, cars); and in Plumbing, to inspect sewer lines

Because of these advantages, you see fiber optics in many industries, most notably telecommunications
and computer networks. For example, if you telephone Europe from the United States (or vice versa) and
the signal is bounced off a communications satellite, you often hear an echo on the line. But with
transatlantic fiber-optic cables, you have a direct connection with no echoes.