Data streaming, AI applications and video conferences, home office, Netflix and in between an online game: The demands on Internet and network connections are increasing every day. The expansion of fiber-optic cables or glass fibers brings a new technology to companies, data centers and households, which promises almost unlimited bandwidths in download and upload as well as a completely new quality of Internet connection. At the same time, new providers are appearing on the market with fiber-optic cable expansion – and presenting project planners and network technicians as well as homeowners and users with often aggressive marketing and sales decisions.
What is it all about the future technology fiber-optic cable? How does the networking technology work? What advantages and disadvantages does it offer, for example in comparison to copper cable or digital subscriber line? Do I really have to convert to fiber-optic cable, what is the difference between single and multimode fibers and what do abbreviations such as FTTH, FTTB and FTTX stand for? Planners and IT specialists, operators of data centers or server rooms, installers, landlords and homeowners will find all the answers to these questions in this guide.
What is fiber-optic internet – and what does the technology bring?
According to the Federal Network Agency, 600,000 new fiber-optic cables connections were installed in 2021 alone. The numbers are increasing just as rapidly as the bandwidth used for the Internet, television and other services. This is where glass fiber technology comes in, which many experts see as the technology of the future for the Internet and as a pioneer of digitization. Fiber-optic cables have long been standard for global communication networks and infrastructure and, with the expansion of broadband, are now being used more and more, including in company networks and house connections.
How do fiber optic cables work?
Fiber-optic cables (FO), transmit optical signals in communication systems through thin fibers made of glass or plastic. They differ fundamentally from classic copper cables because photons are used instead of electrons for signal transmission. To put it very simply, electrical signals are converted into flashes of light and transmitted with the help of light or laser diodes; at the other end of the optical fiber, the light pulses are received and converted back into electronic information.
Due to the unimpeded propagation of the light in the fiber without significant resistance, data can be transmitted over very long distances with almost no loss of speed or bandwidth. Different wavelengths enable an extremely high transmission rate over each fiber-optic cable.
Are fiber-optic cables and glass fibers the same?
Glass fiber and fiber-optic cable are often used synonymously in communications engineering. Technically correct, optical waveguides are cables or lines consisting of optical fibers in which light is transmitted. In addition to data transmission in communications technology, the technology is also used, for example, for lighting or decoration, for fiber optics or as a light source in microscopes and in medical technology as well as for fiber-optic sensors.
Optical fibers are referred to as glass fibers because the fibers inside the cables are made of quartz glass. In addition, polymer optical fibers (POF) – i.e. plastic fibers – are also used, which can be assembled more easily. They are particularly suitable for short-distance data transmission. There are also coated optical fibers that consist of an optical core made of quartz glass and an optical cladding made of plastic. The term fiber-optic cable is used as a generic term for all types of fiber-optic cables.
What types of glass fibers and fiber-optic cables are there?
Cables with optical fibers are divided into single-mode and multi-mode fibers depending on their structure. Single-mode cables are characterized by a small cross-section of the fiber core, which is in the range of 9 µm, whereas multi-mode fiber-optic cables have a fiber core with a diameter of 50 µm to 62.5 µm. The thinner the cross-section, the higher the bandwidth and the lower the attenuation of the signal. This makes single-mode fibers ideal for long distances in data transmission. However, these cables are significantly more expensive than multi-mode fiber optics due to the complex production process and the precision required when connecting using plugs or splices. These are easier to assemble and ideal for local area networks (LAN).Fiber categories
Fiber vs. Copper
The most important advantages of fiber optics over cable and DSL:- Higher transmission speed: Compared to copper cable, fiber optics offer a much higher speed for data transmission. 10 gigabits per second is common for typical fiber optic cables – while the speed for DSL data transmission is usually specified in megabits per second and is therefore significantly slower.
- Larger, interference-free bandwidth: Fiber optic cables have an enormously high bandwidth that can be used for data transfer. Larger amounts of data can thus be transmitted simultaneously without bottlenecks occurring. Disturbances caused by network overlapping or too many users should thus be a thing of the past. For this reason fiber optics is also ideal for professional applications in data centers and companies.
- Low signal loss: Due to their physical properties, fiber optic cables hardly lose any signal strength during data transmission over long distances, in contrast to copper cables. They are also ideal for large networks and data transmission over long distances. With DSL connections, the performance achieved often depends on the distance from the user to the next distribution box – this disadvantage does not apply to fiber optics.
- Insensitive to interference: Optical data transmission via fiber optic cables is insensitive to interference radiation, ground problems, etc., because glass and plastic fibers are not electrically conductive. Even dust, high and low temperatures, humidity, lightning or overvoltages in the environment and other factors have no influence on the speed or quality of the Internet connection via fiber optics.
- Environmentally friendly: The energy required for data transmission via fiber optics/fiber optic cables is significantly lower than via DSL and copper cables. In addition, fiber optic cables do not generate electromagnetic radiation.
- Technology of the future: Unlike copper cables, glass and plastic fibers are not a finite resource that is becoming ever more expensive – on the contrary, the prices for data transmission and components are falling as they become more widespread. In addition, significantly faster data transfers are technologically possible than are currently available on the market. This creates planning security for the future.
It is therefore worth switching to fiber optics now
In summary, it can be said that fiber optics are less susceptible to interference and environmental influences with higher transmission speeds and bandwidths. On the one hand, the technology is tried and tested and mature and is used as a standard for infrastructure for data transmission. On the other hand, it offers potential for further technological improvements in the future. A switch – whether for companies, providers of data centers or server providers as well as for home users – is worthwhile in order to benefit from the technology and high-performance Internet connection at an early stage. The disadvantage of all this is the higher price of fiber optics compared to copper cables – as well as the increased effort for installation and the electrical-optical signal conversion.
Do I have to switch to fiber optics now?
The technological advantages of fiber optics over DSL and other cable-based technologies are obvious. Glass fiber is currently being expanded nationwide and the providers are pushing for the participation of companies and private households. In general, switching to the technology makes sense for anyone affected by poor internet connections, giving them access to a more stable connection with better data transfer rates.In addition, in many regions it is particularly cheap to get started if it takes place at the same time as the technology is being expanded: Fiber optic operators or telecommunications providers then often take over the house connection during the course of the installation, which otherwise has to be commissioned by the user later and often at higher costs. Here it is worthwhile to check and compare the offers.
Nevertheless, there is no obligation to use fiber optics / fiber optics. The infrastructure for data transmission via copper cable will also be retained in the future. With the fiber optic expansion, a relief can even be expected here, so that capacities for better data transmissions will be freed up, which could then be made available to users.
What types of fiber optic connections are there?
Fiber optic connections are often referred to according to their extent or the transfer point of the connection. The following types and designations are common, with the availability of the type of connection depending on the expansion area and infrastructure. In general, the closer the fiber optic transfer point is to the end user, the more he benefits from the advantages of the technology.What is the difference between FTTH, FTTB, FTTX etc.?
- FTTH – Fiber to the Home: Fiber optic connections via FTTH bring fiber optics right into the end user’s home. This enables optimal use of performance and speed. In apartment buildings and apartment buildings, fiber optic cables are laid into the building and into each residential unit.
- FTTB – Fiber to the Building: With this type of connection, the fiber optic cable is laid into a company or residential building. Within the building, the signals are then distributed to offices or apartments via copper or coaxial cables. FTTB is more powerful and reliable than DSL via copper cable, but not as powerful as FTTH due to the division in the building and the local networking with conventional cables.
- FTTX – Fiber to the X: The “X” in this designation stands for various transfer points where the fiber optic connection can end. In some cases, different categories such as FTTC – Fiber to the Curb (optical fiber to the curb) or FTTN – Fiber to the Node (distribution point in a network) are also combined. The technology is also known as Hybrid Fiber Coax (HFC) because the data transmission is carried out in mixed form via fiber optics and then via coaxial cable.
Installers and network technicians need this basic range for fiber optic networks
From the fiber optic transfer point, fiber optic connections behave like conventional networks. Once the optical signal has been converted, it is further distributed in the LAN via Ethernet or coaxial cable. However, especially for fiber optic networks within buildings, network technicians and maintenance staff need their own set of tools for the technology. These include line testers for single and multi-mode fibers that can be used to inspect, test and identify cables. Such fiber optic checkers are available in various versions, which can then, for example, check 1.25 mm cables in addition to 2.5 mm cables. For the detailed recording of attenuation values and the diagnosis of fiber optic networks, Reichelt offers fiber optic attenuation measurement kits for single-mode and multi-mode fiber optic networks. In addition, technicians for fiber optic connections need an assortment of patch cords for connecting network devices, for example in the control cabinet, as well as connectors, converters and cleaning kits. If fiber optic cables are to be permanently connected to one another, the glass fibers must be precisely fused. Special splicing devices for fiber optic cables are used for this process, known as splicing.
Your partner for everything to do with fiber optic cables and glass fiber technology
Fiber optics is the technology of the future for reliable and fast Internet – and is therefore just as interesting for companies and professional data centers or server providers as it is for apartment providers and home users. Reichelt offers network technicians the necessary components for a successful entry into the world of fiber optics – and is at your side with know-how and experience.
Images: Adobe Stock, Delock
