by How Fiber Optics Work
Fiber optic cables transmit data as pulses of light through strands of glass that are just slightly thicker than a human hair. Inside the cable, light pulses travel through the glass core, which is surrounded by a cladding layer and a protective coating. The cladding has a lower index of refraction than the core, which causes light to reflect off the interface between the two layers and remain inside the core through total internal reflection.
This allows the light signal to travel over long distances with very little loss or degradation. Modern fiber networks can carry light signals for over 100 kilometers before needing to be amplified. The light pulses can then be detected at the receiving end and converted back into an electronic signal. This provides an enormous potential bandwidth as multiple wavelengths of light can be transmitted simultaneously through a single strand of fiber.
Subheading: Bandwidth Potential of Fiber
A single fiber optic strand is theoretically capable of transmitting data at speeds up to 100 terabits per second if the most advanced transmission technologies are used. In practice, currently deployed systems operate in the range of 100 gigabits to 1 terabit per second, with continuing improvements expected. This far surpasses the bandwidth capabilities of traditional copper telephone lines and coaxial cables. It also means fiber networks have room to scale up data rates as needs increase without needing to lay new cables.
Subheading: Fiber to the Premises Deployments
Many major internet providers around the world have started deploying fiber optic cables directly to customer homes and offices to take advantage of the bandwidth potential. These “fiber to the premises” or FTTP networks terminate fiber connections on the outside of buildings rather than at a neighborhood cabinet. Inside wiring can then be either fiber or high-performance copper.
Some examples of major FTTP deployments include:
– Chattanooga, Tennessee: The city’s Electric Power Board was an early mover with a fiber network delivering up to 1 gigabit download speeds.
– Hong Kong: Over 90% of homes and businesses have access to fiber broadband from multiple providers at speeds up to 1 gigabit.
– Japan: NTT East and West have deployed fiber serving over 40 million homes with speeds up to 10 gigabits on the horizon.
– Australia: The National Broadband Network is slated to deliver fiber to 93% of homes and businesses by 2023.
– Sweden: Several cities such as Stockholm and Uppsala offer competitive nationwide fiber networks with base speeds of 1 gigabit.
As these examples show, fiber to the premises is seen as an enabling infrastructure for communities and a driver of further economic development. It lays the foundation for future technologies requiring massive bandwidth.
Subheading: Moving Closer to End Users
Some providers are now taking fiber connections even closer to end users through “Fiber In The Loop to the distribution point” or FTTdp architectures. In these networks, fiber terminates in neighborhood cabinets or pedestals from which short copper lines take over for the final connection. This further reduces the copperplant in the access network and allows higher bandwidths than older DSL technology over that last connection.
An example is AT&T’s “Fiber to the Distribution Point” rollout, which aims to make fiber available within 1000 feet of nearly 80 million homes and offices in their footprint by mid-2025. However, FTTdp still relies on copper for the last connection rather than full fiber all the way to the premises. The ideal scenario remains to run fiber optic strands directly to customer locations or fiber deep into multiple dwelling unit buildings.
Subheading: Business and Residential Services Enabled
With fiber’s massive bandwidth, internet providers can offer multi-gigabit symmetrical internet access to both businesses and residences. For example, Google Fiber offers up to 5 gigabits residential services in some areas. This allows high-bandwidth applications like 4k/8k streaming, virtual reality, cloud gaming, real-time collaboration tools, and business services. Synchronous upload and download also enable new possibilities like 8k video conferences, cloud backups, and remote production applications.
Simultaneously supporting many bandwidth-intensive services becomes practical within a single home network thanks to fiber’s capacity. This creates possibilities for smart home/building applications requiring interconnectivity of devices. Telehealth, virtual learning, and remote work also heavily leverage fiber’s bandwidth enabling new work/life flexibility. Possibilities even extend to experimental services like multi-party holographicconferencing if bandwidth constraints are removed.
*Note:
1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
Ravina Pandya, Content Writer, has a strong foothold in the market research industry. She specializes in writing well-researched articles from different industries, including food and beverages, information and technology, healthcare, chemical and materials, etc. With an MBA in E-commerce, she has an expertise in SEO-optimized content that resonates with industry professionals.
