Fibre. It’s how we internet now.
The humble fibre optic cable is the backbone of the internet as we know it. It’s what allows us to surf the web at lightning-fast speeds and stream 4K movies without buffering. But what exactly is fibre, and why is it so important?
In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into the world of fibre optics, exploring how this technology works and why it’s become essential for a high-speed internet connection.
What is fibre?
Fibre is a type of optic cable that uses light to transmit data. Unlike traditional copper cables, which rely on electrical signals to carry data, fibre optics use pulses of light instead. This makes them much faster and more efficient, with speeds of up to 1Gbps (gigabits per second).
Why is fibre so fast?
The speed of fibre optics is made possible by the extremely thin strands of glass or plastic that make up the cable. These strands are just 9 microns in diameter (that’s around 1/10th the width of a human hair), which means that light can travel through them with very little loss or interference.
To put it simply, the thinner the strand, the faster the data can travel. That’s why fibre cables are able to carry such huge amounts of data at lightning-fast speeds.
How does fibre work?
Fibre optic cables work by using mirrors and refraction to guide pulses of light along their length. The light travels down the central core of the cable, where it is reflected by mirrors placed at regular intervals. This ensures that the light stays on course, travelling in a straight line down the length of the cable.
As the light passes through each mirror, a small amount of it is refracted (or bent) outwards into the cladding – a layer that surrounds the central core. This happens because the cladding has a lower index of refraction than the core, which causes some of the light to ‘leak’ outwards as it travels down the cable.
At each mirror, some of this leaked light is reflected back into the core by another mirror placed just below the surface ofthe cladding. This ensures that most ofthe light remains withinthe central core, where it can be effectively used to carry data.
The processof reflection and refraction ensures thatlight can travel for long distances without losing its intensity or directionality – makingfibre optics an ideal technology for long-distance data transmission.
How far can fibretravel?
Oneofthe main advantagesofusing fibreto transmit data is thatit can cover vast distances without any significant loss offidelity or signal strength – makingit idealfor long-distance communications networks suchasundersea cables
