Optical Fiber and Internet.

Optical Fiber and Internet.

Optical fiber is a type of Network. The most common are fiber optics, cable, DSL and satellite. Each network type is different in the way they transfer data, and each offer their own unique advantages. Fiber optic Internet is an Internet connection that transfers data fully or partially via fiber optic cables. “Fiber” refers to the thin glass wires inside the larger protective cable. “Optic” refers to the way the type of data transferred  light signals. In fact, Optical fiber is a flexible, transparent fiber made by drawing glass or plastic to a diameter slightly thicker than that of a human hair. Optical fibers are used most often as a means to transmit light between the two ends of the fiber and find wide usage in fiber-optic communications, where they permit transmission over longer distances and at higher bandwidths than wire cables. Optical fiber can be used as a medium for telecommunication and computer networking because it is flexible and can be bundled as cables. It is especially advantageous for long-distance communications, because light propagates through the fiber with little attenuation compared to electrical cables. This allows long distances to be spanned with few repeaters.

 

Everyday, data transfer rates are getting faster and faster as technology gets better and demands get higher. To keep up with these faster data transfer needs, fiber optic Internet access has been introduced to the public. Fiber optic Internet uses pulses of light to create an electromagnetic carrier wave that can be used to send data at very high speeds. In this article, we will explain how fiber optic Internet works, compare fiber optics with coaxial Ethernet cables, compare fiber optics with wireless internet, explain what direct fiber and shared fiber is, and go over terms like FTTN, FTTC, and FTTP.

 

Wireless Internet can be great for residential purposes and taking your computer with you but even it has its downsides when compared to fiber optics. Wireless Internet data transfer rates depend on your Internet connection speed provided by your ISP, how much electricity is being passed through your router, and how good your router’s antennas are. Fiber optics, however, rely on the speed of light. You can still use wireless Internet in combination with fiber optics, although it may slow your connection down slightly compared to a direct fiber optic connection.

 

FTTN stands for Fiber To The Node which refers to the fiber or fibers from the central office connecting to a neighborhood box called a “cabinet”. A single cabinet can connect several hundred customers to the central office. All customers in the area are connected to the cabinet using coaxial cables but the fiber optics connected to the cabinet allow for high data rates anyway. If you do not wish to connect to a cabinet, you can request that the ISP install a fiber directly to your home.

 

FTTC stands for Fiber To The Curb which refers to the fiber or fibers from the central office connecting to a “cabinet” that is placed in a small area where several customers can connect to it via coaxial cables. FTTC allows for faster connections because it is closer to the customer than FTTN systems are. However, the coaxial cables still lower the overall potential bandwidth that customers can take advantage of.

 

FTTP stands for Fiber To The Premises which refers to the fiber or fibers from the central office connecting directly to the subscriber’s home, office, or other type of building. FTTP is the fastest of all types of fiber optic systems because it is so close to the subscriber and does not necessarily involve coaxial cables. FTTP can exist on both Direct and Shared Fibers, which will be covered later in this article. FTTP may refer to a connection that runs directly to the home, directly to the building, or directly to a utility pole outside of the home or office.

 

A direct fiber refers to every individual fiber optic customer having their own fiber that stretches from their house to the central office. Direct fibers provide customers with large amounts of bandwidth which equal extremely fast data transfer speeds. Fiber optic companies generally use direct fibers in areas where there aren’t that many customers. Direct fibers cost more to install but will pay off in the long run.

 

Shared fibers are much more common than direct fibers and involve one fiber stretching from the central office to an area with many customers, where the fiber is then separated into many individual fibers. Shared fibers still provide customers with large amounts of bandwidth and fast Internet connections but data transfer rates do vary depending on how many customers are accessing the Internet at one time.

 

However, both Optical Fiber and Internet play an important role in all spheres of the people of modern world.