by, Robert Holman, Vermont Computing

A lot of people have heard of about fiber-optics in some form or another. From networking cables to the advent of EC Fiber, you’ve heard it all. But does anyone really know how it works? I’ll give the inside info on how it does, and I can promise you that it’s not run by little gnomes and elves. Fiber-optic cables consist of tiny glass or plastic fiber(s), and come in three different varieties: Single Mode, Multi-Mode, and Plastic Optical Fiber (or POF). The latter you might have seen in many decorative displays and toys. If you have, did you ever notice how well they carry light? If so, then this will help you to better understand how the process of data transfers works.

The fiber-optic cable acts a guide for light, allowing it to travel with minimal or no interruption. To most, that may not seem that impressive, but when you think about how that could impact your internet, phone, and TV usage, that’s a huge leap. So, how does fiber-cable work, you may ask? Well, from what I understand, it’s a thin, glass fiber, and information is sent via light waves. It does, however start out electrically. But it’s sent through a converter (hence information being sent by “light waves”), through the fiber-optic cable, then into your home, where it once again is converted into electronic data.

If your’ a BIG internet user, let’s look at it this way… Well, let’s say that you want to download a 700MB file. With DSL, it will take about an hour, and with Cable, it will take about 15 minutes. With Fiber, you’re only limited by the current technology! This means that 700MB file will be finished downloading in a matter of seconds! How will this help us out in terms of communication? Think of it this way: if you have a 2 hour video you want to send to grandma, with cable, that video will take a good 30-60 minutes (ok, not really that bad…), but with fiber, it should only take a matter of seconds. I know how adamant a lot of people are to change, but this is one change that would be good to take into consideration.

You can find more information on how fiber-optics work at: http://www.arcelect.com/fibercable.htm

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