Definition of Bandwidth for Fiber Optic Cable
Fiber optic cables are strands of plastic or glass that transmit data with light instead of electricity. Since they use light, they are able to transmit data much faster, and their transfer speed is referred to as "bandwidth."
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Bandwidth Basics
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Bandwidth can be visualized as lanes on a highway. The more lanes (width) you have, the more traffic you can move in a given amount of time. And the faster your lanes, the faster the traffic moves.
Fiber Optics in Business
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Fiber optic cables are popular in business environments for managing regional phone call traffic as well as Internet traffic. With their high bandwidth, these types of cables can transmit a very large number of phone calls and Internet traffic requests at once.
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Fiber to the Home
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"Fiber to the Home" uses fiber optics connected directly to your residence. Typically, fiber will be used up to the neighborhood cable box or DSL (digital subscriber line) office, after which point it will go through a coaxial cable or phone line.
Home Fiber Speeds
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Having a fiber optic Internet connection in your home can provide speeds competitive with or faster than cable Internet. Verizon FiOS, the primary provider of fiber optic Internet, offers a 50 megabit per second (Mb/s) connection.
Comparing Technology
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The speed of light gives fiber optics superior bandwidth to a standard copper phone cable, and a higher theoretical speed than coaxial cable.
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