NETWORKS AND

COMMUNICATIONS
BSCS-2
 FIBER CABLES AND COPPER CABLES
When you are building a network that requires long
distances, high speeds, and/or heavy bandwidth
connections, there is no question: fiber optic cables win the
day.
To understand why, and where copper cables may still be
the best solution, it’s important to understand the
differences between the two.
Both cable types transmit data, but in very different ways.
Copper carries electrical pulses along its metal strands.
Fiber optics, on the other hand, carry pulses of light along
flexible glass threads. This difference often equates to fiber
being the best solution for a new or upgraded network, and
therefore being worth the heavier up-front investment.
 5 REASONS IT PROS CHOOSE
FIBER OPTIC CABLES
1. Fiber optic transmission is faster
The standard way to measure data transmission rates is via bandwidth. These days, it
is measured in gigabits of data per second (Gbps), or even terabits per second (Tbps).
Copper-based transmissions currently max out at 40 Gbps, whereas fiber optics can
carry data at close to the speed of light. In fact, the bandwidth limits imposed on fiber
are primarily theoretical, but have been tested to be measurable in hundreds of
terabits per second.
2. Fiber optic transmission can cover greater distances
Both copper and fiber-based signaling suffers from attenuation, or a weakening of the
waveform signal over distance. However, fiber optic cables can transmit data over
much longer distances. In fact, the differences are vast.
Copper cables are limited to lengths of 100 meters (~330 ft.), per governing standards
. Longer distances are theoretically possible, but may introduce other problems,
preventing copper from being a reliable transmission method at greater distances.
Fiber optic cabling, depending on signaling and type of cable, can transmit up to well
over 24 miles!
3. Fiber optic cables are impervious to electromagnetic interference (EMI)

By its very nature, the electrical signaling in a copper network connection generates a field of
interference around the cables. When you have multiple cables running near one another this
interference can bleed into the nearby cables, hindering the desired messaging. This is referred
to as crosstalk, and can force expensive retransmission of the message, or even pose security
risks.

The light transmission in fiber optics does not generate any EMI, so fiber winds up being more
secure, and requires less retransmission, ultimately leading toward a stronger ROI.

4. Save space and enhance cable management

Fiber optic strands are extremely narrow. In fact, they’re measured in microns, or millionths of
a meter. The most common fiber optic strand is the same diameter as a human hair. Yet as
we’ve seen, they can transmit incredible amounts of data, at much higher speeds, over much
longer distances than their less narrow copper counterpart. Fiber optic cables do require
protective sheathing, which “fattens” them up to a least two millimeters in width.

A single standard category 6 copper cable is roughly four times that width, and carries a
fraction of the data. When you use fiber, it takes up much less space and is more flexible (and
therefore easier to manage).

There are additional bonuses to this size reduction in cabling mass: the freed-up space enables
better circulation of a data center’s cooled air, makes it easier to access the equipment it’s
plugged into, and generally just looks much more aesthetically pleasing.
5. Fiber optics are future-proof
Every year the amount of data we consume increases, as do
bandwidth requirements. Investing in a modern fiber optic
cabling infrastructure will allow your network to
operate at future speeds without replacing the cabling.
A solid multifiber backbone in a structured environment will
last for years, if not decades, and likely continue to support
increasing bandwidth needs. The average lifespan of a copper
category specification, on the other hand, is a little over five
years.
Also bear in mind that the technologies and equipment that use
cabling (switches, signaling optics, servers, etc.) generally tend
to decrease in cost as time goes by. It is therefore probable that
higher-end connectivity will become even more affordable in
the future.