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optical fiber

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- Optical fiber (or "fiber optic") refers to the medium and the technology associated with the transmission of information as light pulses along a glass or plastic strand or fiber. Optical fiber carries much more information than conventional copper wire and is in general not subject to electromagnetic interference and the need to retransmit signals. Most telephone company long-distance lines are now made of optical fiber. Transmission over an optical fiber cable requires repeaters at distance intervals. The glass fiber requires more protection within an outer cable than copper. For these reasons and because the installation of any new cabling is labor-intensive, few communities have installed optical fiber cables from the phone company's branch office to local customers (known as local loops). A type of fiber known as single mode fiber is used for longer distances; multimode fiber is used for shorter distances.

Learn more about Optical Networks

The physics of fiber in optical networks: "Optical Fibers," Chapter 5, from The Cable and Telecommunications Handbook looks at the evolution of optical fibers and the impact of convergence on optical networks.
Best practices for optical network design: Fiber-optic deployment has become the network technology of choice in metro and access networks, which means the list of best practices for fiber deployment is growing.
Working with optical networking's new capabilities: The optical networking strategy telecom service providers choose now will define the advanced services they can offer later and when they can expect ROI.
Three optical and IP network architectures enable converged backbone: IP and optical networks can create a converged backbone using using three network architecture models -- IP-over-WDM, port-level grooming and finally subport-level grooming.
Alcatel-Lucent floats converged backbone concept to increase network value: Alcatel-Lucent is backing IP and optical converged backbones to increase applications enablement in service delivery networks to lower network costs and increase services revenue.

CONTRIBUTORS:	Finisar Corporation
LAST UPDATED:	28 Jan 2009

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A passive optical network (PON) is a system that brings optical fiber cabling and signals all or most of the way to the end user.

optical fiber Expert Advice - Telecom Research and White Papers

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