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Fiber Cabling Basics

Fiber Cabling Basics

If you’ve ever seen a fiber optic centerpiece or decoration at a friend’s house, you already basically know what fiber cabling is about in reference to the phone and internet industries. At your friend’s house, the centerpiece stands on the table, and appears to be just long plastic threads coming out of a base, until they turn off the lights and turn on the centerpiece. Then an entire spectrum of colors shines from a hidden light source, through the plastic threads, all the way to the ends. Even though the light is up to a foot away from the ends of the threads, it shines all the way through. Those threads aren’t actually plastic or nylon like they appear to be, but they are an extremely pure glass made of silica. Silica is a pliable substance, which allows the finished optic fibers to be bent in every direction without breaking. Fiber cables are large bundles of hundreds of these long glass fibers, and due to their purity, they are capable of transmitting light across large distances and even under water.

There are many advantages to using fiber cables over the usual metal wires used for telecommunications. Optical fiber cables are both less expensive and smaller than copper wires. This is because fiber cables can be stretched out to thinner diameters than copper can, and more optic fibers can be bundled into a cable. This enables them to carry more data, and send it over farther distances, using lower power transmitters. Fiber cables are fire resistant and resist decaying better than metal, and will need to be replaced less frequently. Fiber optic cables are better suited to transmitting digital signals, which means they’re geared towards the way technology is evolving.

There aren’t many disadvantages to fiber cables. The biggest is availability. While FiOS internet has gained a lot of popularity over the last few years, and internet providers are rapidly replacing their metal wires with fiber cables, they have not been installed in all areas yet. The cost of installation are still high, although these have been dropping and will continue to do so in the future. Also there is a greater risk of animal damage to fiber cables than metal cables.

With all the positives, and the fact that most of the negatives are temporary and easily fixed, expect fiber cables to become the standard in the future. The combination of extremely high bandwidth possibility with the low energy cost for the low power transmitters make this the option most people will choose. The more widespread fiber cables become, the more the technology will be in demand, and the more the prices will drop. This will be a self perpetuating cycle for a long time, and definitely will cement fiber cables as the technology of the future.

Selecting a fiber cable installer is just like choosing any contractor or other installer. Any time you are paying someone to do a job for you, there are certain things you need to make sure. First off, make sure the installer you hire is properly trained. Check their references to make sure that their training is valid and current. Familiarize yourself with the various certification levels for fiber cable installers, and ensure that the installer you hire is certified by a reliable company. You also want an installer who has experience installing fiber cables. Due to the unique properties of fiber optic cables, it’s important to know that the person handling them has the proper experience. Ask about previous jobs, and if possible get some phone numbers for professional references. Check to be sure that their past employers were pleased with their work, and the job was finished in a timely manner. While you can expect to pay more for an installer who has more experience and training, make sure their rates are competitive, and know from the beginning what you’re paying for.