Fiber cable vs copper cable

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Optical Fiber Cable VS Copper Cable
For many years, copper cable was the only option for your network. Your network may still be
wired with copper. Should you change to fiber optics? To determine the best course of action, you
must consider if the benefits of fiber optics out-weigh the cost required to rewire your network.
Fiber Optic Cable

Fiber optic cable is one of the fastest-growing transmission mediums for both new cabling
installations and upgrades, including backbone, horizontal, and even desktop applications. There are
several advantages of fiber optic cable as below:
1. Greater bandwidth - Fiber provides far greater bandwidth than copper and has standardized
performance up to 10 Gbps. While not currently a standard, these speeds could become a reality in
future proposals and ratifications. Keep in mind that fiber speeds are dependent on the type of cable
and used. Single mode fiber optic cable offers far greater distance than either 62.5 or 50 micron
multimode cable. In addition, fiber optic cable can carry more information with greater fidelity than
copper cable.
2. Security - Fiber optical cables offer more secure communications because they are highly
resistant to tapping, radio frequency interference and jamming.
3. Low attenuation - Fiber optic experience very little data loss, even over long distances, because
light travels through the fiber without experiencing attenuation or loss of intensity over time.

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4. Immunity and reliability - Fiber optics provide extremely reliable data transmission. It’s
completely immune to many environmental factors that affect copper cable. The core is made of
glass, which is an insulator, so no electric current can flow through. It’s immune to electrometric
interference and radio-frequency interference (EM/RFI), crosstalk, impedance problems, and more.
You can run fiber cable next to industrial equipment without worry. Fiber is also less susceptible to
temperature fluctuations than copper and can be submerged in water.
5. Migration - The proliferation and lower costs of media converters are making copper to fiber
migration much easier. The converters provide seamless links enable the use of existing hardware.
Fiber can be incorporated into network in planned upgrades.
6. No Electrical Interference - Because different cables do not interact or pick up environmental
noise, fiber optic cables are not affected by electrical interference. This makes them particularly
valuable in locations where high voltage or lightening is often present. Also, optical cables do not
require electricity and therefore do not pose a fire hazard.
7. Design - Fiber is lightweight, thin, and more durable than copper cable. Plus, fiber optic cable
has pulling specifications that are up to 10 times greater than copper cable’s. Its small size makes it
easier to handle, and it takes up much less space in cabling ducts. Although fiber is still more
difficult to terminate than copper, advancements in connectors are making termination easier. In
addition, fiber is actually easier to test than copper cable.
8. Space saver - A single fiber optic cable can carry significantly more data than a single electrical
cable, which saves space within a building or other small space.
9. Standards - TIA/EIA-785, ratified in 2001, provides a cost-effective migration path from
10-Mbps Ethernet to 100-Mbps Fast Ethernet over fiber (100BASE-SX). An addendum to the
standard eliminates limitations in transceiver designs. In addition, in June 2002, the IEEE approved
a 10-Gigabit Ethernet (10-GbE) standard.
Disadvantages
The disadvantages of fiber optic cable are cost, vulnerability, and electricity. Installation of a fiber
optic system comes as a very large investment that is slow to make any sort of returns. The cables
themselves, transmitters, and receivers are all very expensive to purchase and to operate. The
optical cables are made of glass, which means they are prone to burnout when too much optical
power is used. This can destroy several miles of cable at one time. They also cannot transmit
electricity, only data.


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Copper cable

Copper cable are found in most electrical or electronic-related devices. Copper cable offers a variety
of advantages, making it one of the most widely used electrical wires in the world. However, some
materials perform better than copper, such as fiber-optics, which have led to several significant
competitors to copper cable. But copper cable also have some advantages:
1. Best conductor - Out of all of the different metals and cable out there, copper is the best
conductor out of all of them. You can get more power in a piece of copper than with any other
option you have. This makes it efficient and helps you get the job done better than you could
otherwise.
2. Malleable - Copper is soft metal, which means although despite its durability, you can shape it
to meet many needs. Copper wiring’s flexibility makes it ideal for wiring homes and other buildings.
Bending a copper cable of a reasonable thickness takes little more than manually bending it with
your hand; you won’t need any extra tools.
3. High Melting Point - It really takes a lot to melt a copper wire. Therefore, if you are worried
about safety, copper cable is going to be one of your best options. If an overload or surge comes
through the wire, it is not likely to melt or burn. This means that your odds of a fire starting as a
result of a power problem are going to be greatly decreased.
4. Durability - When you use copper wiring in a home, you are less likely to have to go back and
fix it in the future. When materials other than copper are used to wire things, they can sometimes
loosen where they are connected and come unattached. This can lead to some seriously dangerous
conditions and waste a lot of time fixing everything.
5. Compatibility - Most appliance and electrical equipment manufacturers specify that copper wire

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is in all of their products. When you do not have copper wiring in the walls of your home, this can
cause an incompatibility problem in the future. If you try and run a non-copper wire up to a copper
wire, it could cause a galvanic action and start some serious problems. This could effectively
destroy the copper wire that it is attached to. This could cause you some serious work in repairing
the entire system. Getting copper from the beginning will make everything a lot easier in the long
run.
6. Widely available - Every hardware store carries copper cable in a variety of sizes. In addition,
this availability translates into a lower cost in comparison with other wire materials.
Disadvantages
With the development of fiber optic cable, the future of copper wiring is in doubt. Copper has
substantial disadvantages over fiber optic cable and, while copper remains very important, if not
dominant, fiber optic systems are taking over, leaving copper in a poor position due to its many
disadvantages. Most major firms in the semiconductor industry refuse to use copper due to its
spotty track record. Many refuse to use it in automotive wiring due to its penchant for corrosion and
general unreliability.
Comprehensive these advantages and disadvantages about fiber optic cable and copper cable, i think
you have already decided which type of cable you should choose.
Article Source：http://www.fiber-optical-networking-products.com/


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Fiber cable vs copper cable

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