Fiber Optic Internet Speed

Fiber optic threads are fragile and difficult to set up.

Slowly but surely, the telecommunications industry is shifting towards fiber optics. The significant speed increase provided by fiber optics will likely be available to most customers in the US within the next five years.

How Fiber Optics Work

Fiber optic cables are made of glass or plastic. They contain threads as thin as a human hair. Data is transmitted along fiber optic cables in the form of light waves. Fiber optic cables are more difficult to set up than traditional metal Ethernet wires, but are also lighter and more resistant to interference.

Fiber Optic Speed vs. Metal Cable Speed

The bandwidth (amount of data carried) of fiber optic cables is significantly higher than that of metal Ethernet cables. While metal cables can transmit large amounts of data, their ability to do so decreases with distance. Fiber optic cables, on the other hand, experience negligible speed degradation with distance, even over thousands of miles.

Data Transmission

Data transmitted along fiber optic cables is sent in digital form, rather than analog. Digital data is the natural language of computers, meaning that any data sent along fiber optics takes less time to process once received.

References

• TopBits: Fiber Optic Internet
• Webopedia: Fiber Optic Cable
• Lennie Lightwave's Guide to Fiber Optics