The document discusses the history and basics of optical fibers and their advantages over other communication mediums. Optical fibers transmit light through thin glass or plastic strands to carry large amounts of data over long distances with little signal loss. They have significantly higher bandwidth capacity than copper wires and are smaller, lighter, more secure, and less susceptible to electromagnetic interference. While optical fiber equipment can still be costly, fibers have enabled economical high-speed communication networks on a massive scale.