These days, Internet access is less of a miracle and more something that we take for granted. Since the death of dial-up, little thought is given to how web access arrives at its destination, as long as it arrives quickly and with no interruptions. Fibre-optics are the state-of-the-technoloy as far as Internet access and speed capabilities are concerned. This is a little primer concerning what fibre-optics systems are and how they bring the Internet to your home or place of business.
To begin with, fibre-optics is not a thing, it’s a branch of applied science and technology that developed a product known as optical fibres. Optical fibres are thin, hair-like conductors made of glass or plastic that are capable of transmitting light at high speeds and over long distances. They are about the size of a human hair in width, and their transmission capabilities provide the type of band width that makes high-speed Internet connections possible. They’re preferable to metal wiring because there is less data loss over distances, they don’t corrode like metal and they’re not prone to electromagnetic disruption.
Fibre-optic cables are constructed with an ultra-pure, glass core, transparent cladding that reflects light back to the fibre and a plastic buffer coat that protects the thin, glass strands, enabling them to become wavelength conductors. Bundles of these fibres are housed in jackets to make cables that are capable of high-speed data transmission in the form of light waves.
There are two types of fibre-optic cables: single-mode and multi-mode fibres. Single-mode fibres feature smaller cores and transmit infra-red laser light. They’re used for long-distance lightwave transmissions. Multi-mode fibres have cores that are about 62.5 microns in diameter and transmit infrared light from an LED source; they’re used for shorter distance light transmission.
Optical fibre cables transmit light by a process known as total internal reflection. The light travels along the core in a straight line. Where there are bends in the cable, the light is reflected along its new course by the reflective nature of the cladding surrounding it, in the same way that a mirror might reflect light from a source around a corner. The quality of the light signal depends on the purity of the glass transmitting it.
The best fibre-optics systems offer extensive coverage to a large segment of service areas, are compliant with industry standards, support the latest technologies and provide on-going network growth capabilities. Dark Fibre is an example of a technologically complex fibre-optic connection access point. The best connectivity solutions are poised to provide ongoing service that’s able to grow as your enterprise grows.