An Exploration of the Fibreoptic Revolution

During the last couple of decades the world of computers and technology has been developing at an incredibly fast rate, with nearly all devices getting exponentially faster, smaller and more powerful. One of the most important breakthroughs we made was in communication and online data transfer; today, it is possible for virtually anyone connected to the worldwide web to download or upload any piece of information they want at unprecedented speeds, thanks to the innovation we refer to as fibreoptic cable. As a matter of fact, it is safe to say that the advent of fibreop technology sparked what can be best described as a revolution in communications, and what follows is an exploration of how this breakthrough has paid off for mankind.

A Brief Glance at Fibreoptic Technology

To explain it as simply as possible, fibreoptic technology allows for the transfer of light through both long and short distances with the help of a series of transparent fibres. In other words, this means that it is capable of transmitting information at the speed of light. Regardless of where it is installed or for what purpose, a fibreop system is built out of three components.

First, there is the core, and it is the innermost part of the cable. Depending on the situation, the core is either assembled from plastic or glass and is responsible for carrying the light signal. Right outside of the core you will find the next component, the cladding. It is responsible for keeping the light signal inside the core and is made from a material with a low refractive index. Finally, the last component making up the fibreop cable is the jacket; made from polymer or glass, it is the cable’s line of defense against any environmental hazards it may encounter.

How the Fibreoptic Cable Functions

Because the cladding always has a lower refractive index than the core, the light signal travels by bouncing off the cladding at angles greater than 90 degrees, ensuring there is absolutely no loss of energy, even if the fibre happens to be curved. This mechanism allows the data to travel at great speeds without slowing down or being lost in the process.

As far as the splicing process goes (connecting one fibre end to another) there are two different methods one can use. The first one is referred to as a mechanical splice for it is made with the help of a mechanical sleeve which aligns two cleaved fibre ends. The second process is known as fusion splice, and it is performed with the help of heat.

The Benefits of Fibreoptic Technology

And so now that the fibreop technology itself has been explored, it is time to look at the features which make it such an important breakthrough in communications technology. To begin with, fibre cables are always very flexible, which is quite advantageous for commercial buildings where there are countless twists and turns to contend with.

The second advantage of the fibreoptic cable has already been mentioned earlier: its ability to transmit information at the speed of light. This means that you can easily achieve download and upload speeds of over 40 gigabytes per second, have a high-quality television cable connection with no interruptions, and even hold crystal-clear long-distance conversations over the phone. To explain it in other terms, this is the fastest and most reliable data transfer method that we have been able to come up with, and in terms of speed and quality it simply blows all the other alternatives out of the water.

Last, but definitely not least, fibreop cable is by far cheaper than the regular electric copper cables due to the widespread availability of the parts needed in its construction. That’s right, in addition to being much better, fibreoptic technology is also cheaper than what we are currently using.

Of course, nothing in this life is perfect, and fibreoptic technology does have one small flaw: if the wires are installed too deep underground gravity and the weight of earth will cause them to slowly bend downwards over time. This means that in order to maintain the cable under such conditions, rare but regular maintenance work will be required.

Final Words on Fibreop

With everything being said and done, it can easily be stated that despite its small flaw, fibreoptic technology is definitely here to stay and is the next big thing in the world of communications. It is more effective, reliable, simpler and cheaper than all the options we have had up until now, and if the progress keeps on going at this rate, we’ll probably develop teleportation technology next.