How does fiber optics compare to electrical cables?

There are some technical areas, such as optical data transmission, where optical fibers compete with electrical cables, and there are other areas where fiber optic cables have significant advantages : How do fiber optics work

Optical cables are much lighter

Fiber capacity for data transmission is an order of magnitude higher

Signal attenuation can be very low

A large number of channels can be re-amplified in a single fiber amplifier

Fiber optic data transmission is difficult to intercept and manipulate, providing greater security

Fiber optic connections are immune to EMP

Fibers do not pose a fire hazard

However, fibers have disadvantages:

Optical connections are sensitive and difficult to handle. Alignment must be accurate and optimum cleanliness is required.

The fiberglass must remain relatively straight to prevent loss or breakage.

Overall, it is clear that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, making fiber optics a remarkable innovation.

What are fiber optics used for?

We don't understand how ubiquitous fiber optic cables have become. The laser signals transmitted over these cables are hidden under the sidewalk and even under the ocean floor. The technologies that use these cables are as varied as the light signals themselves.

Computer networks

Fiber optic cables mainly carry information over long distances. This creates optimal conditions for data transfer. Fiber optic cables have many advantages over older styles of electronic transmission:

Less signal loss. Information travels 10 times further before it needs amplification

No interference. Fiber optic cables are less susceptible to electromagnetic interference

Higher throughput. Fiber optic cables carry much more data than older cables of the same size

Computers were once connected over long distances using telephone lines or Ethernet cables, but fiber optic cables have replaced these options because network computers with fiber optic cables are affordable, reliable, secure, and offer higher capacity.

Television and radio broadcasting

While early television and radio signals used electromagnetic waves to transmit signals, cable television companies moved forward using coaxial cables, which carried several analog television signals. As the number of cable TV consumers grew and television networks began to offer more channels and programs, cable operators switched from coaxial cables to optical fibers, from analogue to digital broadcasting.

Medical devices

Medical devices that help doctors look into human bodies without cutting them open were the first applications of fiber optics over 50 years ago. Gastroscopes and arthroscopes are commonplace in medicine today, and fiber optics continues to be an important component in new medical scanning and diagnostic devices.

Military use

Fiber optic cables are cheap, lightweight, high performance, thin, attack-resistant, and very secure. Thus, they provide an easy way to link military bases to missile launch sites and tracking radars. They do not emit electromagnetic radiation easily detectable by the enemy, and they are resistant when subjected to electromagnetic interference.

The relatively light weight of fiber optic cables compared to traditional wires is another advantage. Tanks, military aircraft, and helicopters began switching from metal cables to fiber optic cables. The savings in weight and cost are a big advantage, but fiber optics also increase reliability - their very nature makes them immune to electromagnetic pulse or other interference