Fiber Optic Cable
Also known as: Optical Fiber · Fiber · Glass Fiber
Fiber optic cable is a transmission medium that carries data as light pulses through a thin glass strand instead of electrical signals through copper.
Fiber optic cable carries data as pulses of light through a thin glass core rather than electrical signals through copper wire. It exists because light travels much greater distances without significant signal loss than electricity in copper, and it is unaffected by electromagnetic interference.
In practice, there are two main types: multimode fiber, usually jacketed in orange or aqua, used for runs within a building or campus, and single-mode fiber, usually yellow, used for longer runs between buildings or sites. Both ends terminate in connectors that plug into an SFP module in the switch.
A common misconception is treating fiber as universally faster: over short runs within an office, Cat 6a copper delivers the same bandwidth at lower cost and without fragile connectors. Fiber's real advantage shows up over longer distances and on runs exposed to heavy electrical interference, such as alongside power lines.
What it means in practice
Fiber typically becomes relevant for a business when two buildings or halls need to be connected, such as an office building and a warehouse, or when a copper run is regularly affected by electrical interference.
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