What is Optical Fiber?

A cable which is used to transmit the data through fibers (threads) or plastic (glass) is known as optical fiber cable. This cable includes a pack of glass threads which transmits modulated messages over light waves. There are many advantages by using these cables over other types of communication cables like bandwidth of these cables is high, less vulnerable than metal cables to interference, less thin, lighter, and the data can be transmitted in the form of digitally. The main disadvantages of these cables are installation is expensive, more delicate and difficult to fix together.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Optical Fiber

The advantages of optical fiber include the following.

• Bandwidth is higher than copper cables.
• Less power loss and allows data transmission for longer distances.
• The optical cable is resistant to electromagnetic interference.
• The size of the fiber cable is 4.5 times better than copper wires and
  these cables are lighter, thinner, and occupy less area compare with metal wires.
• Installation is very easy due to less weight.
• The optical fiber cable is very hard to tap because it doesn’t produce electromagnetic energy. These cables are very secure while carrying or transmitting data.
• A fiber optic cable is very flexible, easily bends, and opposes most acidic elements that hit the copper wire.

The disadvantages of optical fiber include the following

• The optical fiber cables are very difficult to merge & there will be a loss of the beam within the cable while scattering.
• The Installation of these cables is costly.
• They are not as robust as the wires. Special test equipment is often required to the optical fiber.
• Fiber optic cables are compact and highly vulnerable while fitting
  these cables are more delicate than copper wires.
• Special devices are needed to check the transmission of fiber cable.