How fiber optic cables work

A fiber optic cable consists of one or more strands of glass, each only slightly thicker than human hair. The center of each wire is called the core, which provides the way for light to travel. The core is surrounded by a layer of glass called plating that reflects light inward to avoid signal loss and allow light to pass through the bends in the cable.

The two main types of fiber optic cables are single mode and multi-mode . Single-mode fiber uses extremely thin strands of glass and a laser to generate light, while multimode fiber optic cables use LEDs. 

Single-mode fiber optic networks often use Wave Division multiplexing techniques to increase the amount of data traffic that the cable can carry. WDM allows the combination of light at several different wavelengths (multiplexed) and subsequently separated (de-multiplexed), efficiently transmitting multiple communication streams through a single light pulse.

The advantages of fiber optic cables

Fiber cables offer more advantages over long-distance copper cables.

Fiber optics support higher capacity . The amount of network bandwidth that a fiber cable can carry easily exceeds that of a copper cable of similar thickness. 10 Gbps , 40 Gbps and 100 Gbps fiber cables are standard.

Because light can travel much longer distances on a fiber cable without losing its strength, the need for signal pulses is reduced.

A fiber optic cable is less sensitive to interference. A copper network cable requires shielding to protect it from electromagnetic interference. While this protection helps, it is not enough to prevent interference when many cables are tied together. The physical properties of fiber optic cables avoid most of these problems.

Fiber to the home, other implementations and fiber networks

While most fiber optics are installed to support long-distance connections between cities and countries, some residential ISPs have invested in expanding their fiber facilities in suburban neighborhoods for direct access by households. Suppliers and industry professionals use these state- of -the - art facilities .

Some of the best-known home-based fiber services include Verizon FIOS and Google Fiber . These services can provide households with gigabit internet speeds. However, it usually also offers customers smaller capacity packages. Different packages for home consumers are often abbreviated with obscure acronyms: Dark fiber network

FTTP (Fiber to Premise) : Fiber that is laid down to the building.

FTTB (Building / Block Fibers) : Same as FTTP.

FTTC / N (Fiber at the edge of the knot) : Fiber that is put on the knot but then copper wires complete the connection inside the building.

Direct fiber : Fiber that leaves the central office and is attached directly to a customer. It offers the highest bandwidth, but direct fiber is expensive.

Common 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.