Fiber optics is undoubtedly an awesome medium for connectivity and communications. It has so much potential and we as consumers have yet to see its true power be unleashed. It’s going to take a while though for it to truly take the world by storm. In this feature we’ll explain the good and the bad with this technology.

What we like:

Bandwidth Capacities: Optically based signals like those in fiber optics have a greater capacity for data than electrically based ones such as copper cables.A data transfer for a copper cable goes at one gig per second while a fiber optic cable has the possibility of reading 350 terabytes per second.

Quite a difference isn’t it? Currently the technology for fiber optics is still at around 1 terabyte per second but there’s no telling what the future holds.

Reliability Of Signal: It’s not as common to see optical systems have faulty signals. Therefore, these signals can travel much farther compared to something like DSL, which covers a five kilometer distance.

Optical networks can reach speeds of forty times by clocking in at 200 kilometers and less interference in their signals occurs.

Cable Size: An optical fiber is sized up at around ten to fifty micrometers.

These dimensions are a fifth the diameter of a strand of hair. That’s obviously smaller than a typical coax cable which usually has a diameter of half an inch. This difference in size will make creating a new network much easier.

What we don’t like:

Traffic Switching: For optically based signals have data transmission happen directly isn’t too hard. However traffic switching can be a very difficult process.

Right now the cost of implementing this is difficult as it’s still cheaper for electrically based signals to perform this service albeit at a much slower right.

Cable strength: Fiber optics and their cables are very sensitive. You have to be aware of how delicate they are when handling them and when damaged severly the cost if high for cable replacements.

Fees for the average consumer: It’s going to take some time before the average Joe can afford a fiber optic cable setup for their telecommunications hookup. In the meantime a service like DSL offers a decent transfer rate of 50 megs/second for a reasonable price. Once fiber optic based service becomes cost effective this hindrance will be canceled out.

Well that pretty much sums up the lowdown on the good and bad of fiber optics technology. As it stands there’s little doubt that fiber optics will be taking a backseat in the distant future. But until the technology can be mass produced to be affordable to the average consumer we’ll have to play the waiting game.

For the interim electrically based signals like broadband and DSL will have to do for now but that isn’t such a bad thing in the meantime. Unlike dial-up these services are more than adequate to handle heavy data transfers.

In summation it’s going to be a long and hard wait for fiber optic technology but on the bright side the technology is continuing to grow and will one day be the be all end all of home based telecommunications.