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Speed of Light: The primary advantage of fiber optic cable is speed.

 

Speed of Light: The primary advantage of fiber optic cable is speed. Data is transmitted as pulses of light (photons) through the glass fiber. While the light travels slightly slower through glass than in a vacuum, it is still significantly faster and has far less latency than electrical signals moving through copper wire.

Cable Core: The cable is made of extremely pure glass (silica), and the inner core where the light travels is often thinner than a human hair (around 9 to 10 microns in diameter for single-mode fiber, as mentioned in the Canvas).

Total Internal Reflection: Fiber optics work by trapping light inside the core. The light is constantly reflected off the outer layer of the fiber, called the cladding. This process, known as total internal reflection, allows the light to travel over vast distances with minimal loss of signal integrity.

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Immunity to Interference: Unlike traditional copper cables, fiber optic cables are completely immune to electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI). This makes the connection extremely reliable and secure, as the signal cannot be easily intercepted or degraded.

Distance and Bandwidth: Fiber can carry significantly more data (higher bandwidth) and transmit signals much farther than copper cable without needing a repeater to boost the signal. A single pair of fibers can easily carry terabits of data per second.

Global Network: The vast majority of international data transmission (including all your web searches, streaming, and global calls) travels through massive submarine fiber optic cables laid across ocean floors, creating a true global nervous system for the internet.

Single vs. Multi-Mode:

Single-Mode Fiber (SMF): Used for long-distance transmissions (like those mentioned in the Canvas, connecting Johannesburg to London). It uses a very thin core and a laser to send a single light path, allowing for maximum distance and speed.

Multi-Mode Fiber (MMF): Used for shorter distances, typically within a building or campus. It uses a slightly wider core and an LED source, which allows multiple paths of light to travel, but this causes signal dispersion over long distances.