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What are the main types of fiber optics and how is each different?

What are the main types of fiber optics and how is each different?

In many countries fiber optic is used , as it is the most advanced type of wiring for sending information in the form of light pulses , allowing us a good speed in the exchange of information.

Optical fibers are glass threads that transform information into beams of light traveling at high speed. They have different uses, both daily and industrial, but more ahead we will deepen more of this concept and the different types that we can find.

As we know not all countries have the same bandwidth speeds , nor do all people. These, vary depending on the area and type of fiber they use . To know what our browsing speed is, we invite you to use our speed test.

What is fiber optics and what is this type of Internet connection?

optical fibers are glass or molten plastic threads that transmit long pulses of laser light , which carry computer data packets. This is the most advanced technology to be able to transmit information via cables.

fibra optica revoluciona la velocidad

We know that cables are mostly copper or metal wires, but the difference is that when information is transmitted through metal or copper over long distances, packages arrive incomplete , due that this material generates many losses.

The optical fiber transmits exactly the amount of data packets without generating any loss because it is transmitted in the form of light. This way of transmitting information is much safer than any other, because is not affected by electromagnetic interference.

What is the optical fiber for?

The hypothesis of creating an optical fiber, is the sending of information over long distances with such a minimum level of information loss that is considered totally effective in that regard .

This technology has many uses, both industrial and everyday and labor . This is used as material for networks and communications, sensors (used to determine a minimum or maximum point of temperature, pressure, or light levels), and also as lighting material.

What are the main types of fiber and how is it different? each one?

Fibers are divided into different types whose functions are different. Here we show you what they are and their functions:

Asymmetric fiber

Asymmetric fiber is one that offers better loading speed than downloading data. It was designed for netizens to see information on the network, that is, to be spectators and not providers of content to the web. This is the most widely used system worldwide, as asymmetric fiber is considered a sign of commercial use.

Although many users do not like an asymmetric connection we can tell you, that still this type of fiber has many advantages that trap people to them. We can say that one of them and the most important is the economic, and this is because as the demand grows every day for symmetric fiber this has had to establish offers in its prices .

Dark fiber

This fiber is very little used since its function as such is not to directly offer a connection service. In most fiber connections where they have a kilometer path, they use this type of fiber as support for normal fiber , since this will be the in charge of sending the information > when the principal fails or is collapsed, and is also used to promptly communicate data centers with areas where backups are made.

Many of the operators enter this type of fiber, although in most cases they are not used, but they do so with the intention of maintaining a stable and prepared system when grow the flow of connected users , always offering good speed. They are also implemented to offer future network sales or resale to other operators.

These cables are increasingly used for private companies or administration that want to have an instant and very fluid network between their offices.

Many telephone companies use fiber optic because every day there is more demand in them. So they are using the dark fiber to be able to give a good connection and distribution of information between different points.

Symmetric fiber

This type of fiber is used to supplant the service offered by asymmetric optical fiber , whose main feature is to offer an equal loading and unloading speed. In other words, we can say that whenever we make any file upload it will have the same speed as when we download it.

Although the download speed will sometimes be less than the asymmetric connection , but it is still a good option for most users.

Their prices may vary, as the demand for this type of fiber is growing more every day, so we can also find different offers depending on the utilities we use to give it.

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How fast can the FTTH be? Is it the fastest in Spain?

FTTH comes from its acronym in English Fiber To The Home whose translation is fiber to the house or fiber to the home, which is based on using fiber optic cables, where it is installed to provide services such as Triple Play: telephony, broadband Internet and television.

This technology represents one of the fastest navigations in terms of connections. Thanks to the fact that it uses fiber optics, to connect two ends, its data sends travel at the speed of light pulses.

In Spain it is one of the fastest broadband connections since several operators such as Jazztel use it offering an exchange rate of packages of 300 Mbps, and others like Adamo offers a speed of 1 Gbps with a very limited coverage.

In what position is Spain?

From its beginnings until now this technology has had many advances so according to the latest studies, conducted by Cable, where it analyzed the Internet speed of 200 countries from its speed average broadband in megabits per second. This study was conducted from June 2017 to May 2018.

According to this analysis we can observe that the speed of broadband varies from one country to another, and that it can also vary according to the area where each person lives in a given country.

Internet-Libre

Based on this study, it was determined that one of the countries with the fastest Internet connection speed is Singapore , with an average result of 60.39 megabits per second . Second place was given to Sweden with a speed of 46 Mbps and third place to Denmark with a speed of 43.99 Mbps.

Position number five was awarded to Norway with a speed of 40.12 Mbps and Romania (sixth place) with 38.6 Mbps . Granting the position number 16 worldwide to Spain with a speed of 27.19 Mbps, and the USA in position 20 having 25.86 Mbps .

What is the speed of my navigation?

There are studies, which can be done individually to know what is the speed of Internet connection. To know what speed you have to navigate, go to the following link: Speed ​​Test

Fiber optic cable types What are the main wiring?

Optical fibers show different behaviors when there is a beam of light inside them, called propagation. Depending on how this propagation is done, the optical fibers are divided into:

Multimode fiber

This is the type of fiber that makes light circulate through it , reaching more than one way or path. In other words, not everyone can arrive at the same time, so it is assumed that due to its name it must have more than two thousand modes of propagation of light.

estructura de un cable de fibra optica

Multimode fibers commonly are used to connect two points with a short distance from each other, used for a maximum distance of 2 km , characterized by being easy to design and very economical.

The core of this type of fiber has a good index of refraction, but despite being higher it is of the same order of magnitude as the coating . Due to this and its large size, it is easier to connect and has a greater tolerance to components of lower precision.

This fiber has different cores with different refractive indices, so we can divide it into two types:

  • Stepped index : It is named this way because it has a constant refractive index throughout the cylindrical section with a high modal dispersion.
  • Gradual index: The index of this type is not constant and has a lower modal dispersion, and its core is made up of two different materials.

Single mode fiber

As the name implies is an optical fiber in which only light mode is propagated , which is achieved by reducing the diameter of the fiber core to a determined size that allows for optimal propagation mode.

Its mode of transmission is parallel to the fiber axis . Unlike multimode fiber, this fiber allows to reach great distances , with good communication and capable of transmitting an enormous rate of information.

Types of connectors for FTTH What are they and how much do they influence network speed?

We can find different types of fiber connectors , but these vary depending on the country or continent, since some are of uses more common than in others .

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Next we will show which are the most used connectors:

Connector E2000

This is the LSH connector (Europe 2000) of the pushpull type . Its use is very common since it has a cap that protects the face of the splint when it is not attached.

This is made of a thermoformed plastic material (UL 94-V0), with a zirconia splint with a diameter of 2.5 mm.

MTRJ connector

This is a Rj-45 type connector that supports duplex fiber, Gigabit Ethernet, Video and CATV, polarized telecommunications networks . We can find it available in single mode and multimode.

This type of connector has a great advantage which is the cost reduction in passive hardware, provided that an installation is performed, since it contains two fibers in its splint that doubles the density within any distributor.

ST connector

Mostly we can find this type of connector in large data networks , and they can be found in multimode and single mode type. This connector is a pre-assembled type considered for its structure.

FC connector

This type of connector offers a good tuning guide fixed for the APC model, structured with a removable tuning ring and variable in six positions. We can find it for the connectorization version on 900μ channels , all with APC or UPC terminals.

SC connector

It is a pushpull type connector , made of plastic material with a zirconia splint with a diameter of 2.5 mm. It is very easy to disassemble it from the trailer given its shape to enter in a straight line.

It is mostly used as an industrial link, for telephone exchanges, operators of CATV, and is the output interface of the most common media converters 10/100.

DIN connector

This connection is governed under DIN 47256 CECC 86 135-801 (UPC version) and 135-802 (APC versions).

LC Connector

This connector LC (Line of Connectors), having as size half of the connectors such as SC, ST, FC and others . It is mostly used as a coupler in a patch-pannel, available in single-mode or multi-mode, simplex or duplex, PC or APC versions.

It is a totally connector ideal for high-speed networks, voice, telecommunications and for control panels on high-density racks and CPDs.

MU connector