Thursday 23 January 2014

The Advantages And Disadvantages 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.

There are a lot of things that prevent the full development of this network. There are surely a lot of people who are aware of this. There are also advantages and disadvantages to using the said option nowadays. Here are those advantages and disadvantages that the person might want to take in mind beforehand.

In the advantageous side, there are a lot of people who will appreciate taking advantage of the available bandwidth capacity of the said network. Compared to electrical signals, the capacity for information of an optical signal is three hundred times higher. It makes the connection flow faster and more information are exchanged.

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 weight and size of this product will also prove to be advantageous. It is not as heavy nor as bulky as the coaxial cables. For the optical fibers, the size of it will measure to only ten micrometers in the least. This is just a fifth of the diameter of a person hair. The weight of these optical fibers measures to at least six kilograms per one kilometer.

Of course, there are consequences to choosing this option too. The first one has something to do with the product's cost. The optical networks of big companies use optical fibers as its backbone since it is economical. However, it will be a different matter when this is deployed at home. The cost is too high for a single subscriber.

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.

There is also a need to pay attention to the traffic switching of this product. Truth be told, the switching technology of this product is not up to par compared to the electrical switching solution. It is not as cost-efficient and flexible as what the electrical options can offer. This is the reason why it is troublesome to make use of this when there is a high traffic for the company.

These are just a few of the things that the person has to pay attention to when it comes to using fiber optics. Whether it be for the home or for the business, it is for the best to weigh the pros and cons first before making the final decision. After the person has determined how advantageous this option is, then make the decision.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment