- Unlike other technologies that have become obsolete, such as ADSL, fibre optics offers a number of advantages, including security, durability and stability.
Throughout the history of fibre optics, its applications and uses have evolved enormously, offering numerous advantages.
Before analysing these benefits, let’s briefly review what fibre optics are.
Fibre optics: definition
Fibre optic technology can be defined as technology that transmits data through thin glass or plastic wires and is used to send information using pulses of light, taking advantage of the refraction and reflection of light for this data transmission.
The fact that the light rays are not distorted, retain their power and can travel long distances means that information is transmitted quickly and stably.
Benefits of fibre optics
Although there may be differences depending on the type of fibre optic we are talking about, there are a number of common advantages.
Greater speed and bandwidth
Due to the greater bandwidth of fibre compared to other technologies such as ADSL, fibre optics allows much faster upload and download speeds.
This competitive advantage means that this technology is increasingly used by users in both work and home environments.
These characteristics have meant that the evolution of fibre optics has been accompanied by notable improvements in areas where it may not be so noticeable, such as browsing, as well as in others where this speed is much more evident, such as downloads, streaming or video games.
This improvement is reflected in lower latency, which is the time it takes for data packets to travel from one point to another.
Security
Another feature of fibre optics is that it offers greater security than Wi-Fi or copper.
Intrusion attempts are better detected, making it easier to ensure the privacy and integrity of information, thanks to the fact that, as mentioned above, the signal is transmitted by pulses of light without the emission of radiated electromagnetic signals.
To this feature should also be added computer security protocols or devices to ensure the comprehensive protection of the information transmitted.
Lower energy consumption
Fibre optics consume less energy than copper and break down less, as they are more resistant and durable.
An example of the sustainability of this technology can be found at Telefónica, which has gone from having 8,000 copper exchanges in Spain to 3,000 fibre exchanges.
According to a study conducted by the operator, fibre is 85% more energy efficient than copper in power stations, and the environmental impact is 18 times lower per petabyte for the former technology compared to the latter.
In this specific case, in addition to this reduction, reuse and recycling are also positive aspects for the environment, to which we should also add that fibre generates less waste.
Resistance and durability
Although we mentioned this in the previous section, the resistance and durability of the cables are another positive feature of this technology.
This is because we are talking about lightweight, thin, flexible cables that are resistant to adverse weather conditions (between -40°C and 80°C, although these figures may vary depending on the type) and require little maintenance.
Durability is linked to the fact that glass does not degrade through corrosion, as metals do, for example.
To these characteristics we should also add the materials used to reinforce the cables to maintain the integrity of the optical core during both installation and operation in environments that can be demanding for various reasons, thus minimising potential damage from handling or stress.
