subject: The Introduction Of Fiber Optic Technology [print this page] The Introduction Of Fiber Optic Technology
A decade ago, the internet was still in its infancy in many parts of the world, with data speeds at minimal. By then, the main medium of data transfer via internet happened thanks to coaxial cables made of copper. The maximum speed was indicated in kilobytes per second and even so, only a few houses could afford 24/7 internet connectivity. In recent years, more impressive and advanced technological developments such as ADSL (assymetric digital subscriber line) came in to play escalating internet speed limits without bounds. Therefore, the term broadband internet connectivity was used to refer to these systems. This also helped reduce the cost of internet connectivity as a whole and therefore popularised the internet in many homes. It wasn t long before wireless networks were introduced under the name of Wi-Fi. This further popularised the internet due to its convenience and ability to setup Local Area Networks (LAN), sharing a single internet connection. The next new comer was 3G technology for mobiles which gave users more mobility on the run/ However, this solution was quite costly to begin with. Recently, fiber optic technology was introduced and has so far proved to be much more efficient compared to coaxial cables or even 3G networks. It consists of miniscule threads like wires made entirely of glass or plastic. Using internal reflections of light to transmit data in form of pulses, unlike copper cables, the fiber optic technology saves energy that would otherwise be lost during transmission. Optical fibers used in fiber optic technology has no interference with electromagnetic waves during transmission making the flow accurate. Fiber optic technology offers higher bandwidths than ADSL or 3G connections making it the most efficient medium for data transfer. A single ultra-thin optical fiber used in fiber optic technology can transfer much more data per second than a much larger copper cable therefore making it a cheaper alternative. Data speeds currently are in the range of 33megabits per second. Data speeds that optical fiber offer currently are said to improve in the future and costs of the technology is to become cheaper, which means we re looking at a future where our internet connection at home will be using fiber optic technology giving us unexpected data speeds.
