Wednesday 22 January 2014

The Pros And Cons Of Fiber Optics

By Amanda Bean


The talk about the use of optical fibers have progressed from being a mere dream into a reality. However, such a reality is still not up to the standard of a useful level. The all-optical network is yet to become a reality. There are only a select few that are using a fiber optics network as their option to connect to the Internet.

An all-optical network is still far off. However, people should thoroughly be made aware about this. It is better to inform the public about the possibility of this dream. Before anything else, let the public know about the pros and cons that are available to them. Here are some important pros and cons the public should know about.

For the pro side, people should be able to take advantage of the bandwidth capacity of this option. The optical signals can carry more information compared to electrical ones. The theoretical capacity of the optical fibers is considered to be hundred times bigger and faster than the copper cables. If it is turned into reality, the most common benefit that a person can feel is the instant page load.

It is also a good thing in terms of signal reliability. The optical option is not open to electromagnetic interferences, unlike the electrical option. This means that the system for the optical fibers will not suffer signal loss. If there is less to zero signal loss, then the person can expect a small bit error rate.

The person can also consider the size and weight of the optical fibers. When it comes to the size, the optical wires have a size of ten to 50 micrometers. This is comparable to a fifth of a human hair's diameter. When it comes to the weight, one kilometer of this wire can be weighed as much as six kilograms.

Of course, using the optical fibers also has its own disadvantages. One of them is the cost of the said product. The exorbitant amount of the said option makes it only available to big companies. They use it as an economic investment because they can use this to serve as a backbone for their processes. If it is used at home, the price will be too expensive.

The physical constraints of this product will also persuade people to think twice about buying the product. Just bending the optical fibers more than necessary will increase the risk of losing the light reflecting properties in it. The complexity and the fee of the repairs for the said product is too much for one person to handle too.

Traffic switching is also a troublesome issue when it comes to this matter. The switching technology for this option might be advancing fast nowadays but it still cannot match the cost-efficiency and flexibility of the electrical switching solutions.

The pros and cons are not limited to the aforementioned, though. People should take account all information about using fiber optics. This is so that they can make a more appropriate decision in the end. This way, they can enjoy the benefits and withstand the consequences of using the said network easily.




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