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7 Benefits of Installing Optical Fiber Cabling Over Copper Wire

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Copper cables have been the gold standard for most wiring jobs for over 100 years. They are highly conductive and great for voice transmission. But fiber optic cable is superior in many ways for structured network and backbone cabling. Here are some of them.

1 — Transmits Faster

Because fiber optic cables use a light core to carry and transmit data, the signals travel at about 70% of the speed of light (or close to 470,000,000 MPH). This is much faster than any copper cable can manage. As a result, there is also less signal degradation with fiber cables.

2 – Carries Signals Over Longer Distances

Copper wiring has a limitation of around 328 feet before the signal degrades. Fiber optic cables can carry signals much farther—miles instead of feet. The distance depends on the fiber optic cable type used, the signal’s wavelength, and the network that supports it.

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3 – Greater Bandwidth

When comparing copper cables to optical fiber cables of a similar size, fiber optic cable carries far more data than copper cables can.

4 – More Reliable

Copper carries electricity. As a result, bad weather, extreme temperature changes, and even a little moisture can reduce copper cables’ connectivity and effectiveness. Also, because it carries electric current, it is susceptible to electromagnetic interference (EMI), which can disrupt transmission. Because fiber uses light instead of an electric current, it is immune to extreme temperatures, bad weather, EMI, and moisture. It is also corrosion-resistant.

5 – Lighter and More Rugged

Copper is heavy and bulky. When comparing fiber cables to copper cables, fiber optic cables are thinner and lighter. Because of the nature of fiber optic cable, it is far less fragile than copper. It can be pulled, bent, and twisted in ways that copper cannot.

6 – Easier to Install

When installing cabling, copper can be more challenging because it has to be thicker to handle the bandwidth of a typical organization. For this reason, it is challenging to run copper wire through walls, it requires bigger holes to run them through and more construction to make the copper cable work smoothly. Because fiber optic cable is significantly thinner, it requires a lot less space and work to get them where they need to go in a building.

7 – Integrates Well Into Existing Technology

Today’s network equipment manufacturers produce components that allow you to integrate fiber-optic-cable into existing networks. Because fiber optic cable uses light instead of electricity, it can be installed along old electrical cables without causing interference.  

Looking for a Fiber Optic Network Equipment Installation?

Give Tri-State Electrical Contractors a call at (423) 800-2134, fill out our simple online form, or email us at info@tristateec.com  Our industrial and commercial electricians understand the components, networks, and needs of modern-day fiber optic systems.

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What is Structured Cabling Field Testing?

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To understand structured cabling field testing, you need to understand about structured cabling is. According to the Fiber Optic Association, structured cabling is “the standardized architecture and components for communications cabling specified by the EIA/TIA TR42 committee and used as a voluntary standard by manufacturers to ensure interoperability.”

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Defining Structured Cabling

In plainer language, it is the communications cabling infrastructure for a home or business. Most modern companies and businesses require a lot of connectivity, whether these are computer networks, phone systems, or other communication systems supporting the company’s business operations. In addition, the performance of these systems must be

  • Consistent and predictable—the performance of the operation must meet the expectations of everyone, including workers, managers, and customers
  • Flexible – to make changes, additions, removals, and transferal of connectivity
  • Redundant – so problems in one area won’t bring operations to a screeching halt

Structured Cabling Field Testing

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) develops and publishes the voice and data communications infrastructure standards. These standards include performance specifications for twisted-pair cable, connecting hardware, and how well this equipment is installed within the location. The TIA telecommunications systems bulletin TSB-67, defines the guidelines for field testing the two models for the installed link: channel and basic link. It also defines

  • The parameters that need to be measured and verified
  • The frequency range over which the evaluation needs to be executed
  • The performance or pass/fail limits for this evaluation.
  • The framework for performance analysis

Field-testing a structured cabling system ensures that a completed installation meets the desired transmission performance outlined by TSB-67. The test verifies that the installed link transmits signals with a high degree of integrity to ensure reliable communications. By reviewing the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the transmission link over the frequency range required by the application, the tester determines the strength of the signal to be received from the sender–relative to external disturbances such as noise on the transmission link. If your signal is strong compared to the effect of unwanted disturbances, the signal has a low bit-error-rate.

Running a series of structured cabling field tests helps identify issues within the hardware, configuration, and the installation of the structured cabling and supporting hardware. This is an essential component of keeping your communication network running smoothly and identifying potential issues before they can slow down (or even stop) production.

Want to Know More About How Structured Cabling Field Testing Can Benefit You?

Give Tri-State Electrical Contractors a call at (423) 800-2134, fill out our simple online form, or email us at info@tristateec.com  Our industrial and commercial electricians understand the TSB-67 and how to translate these guidelines into solid performance on your communication networks.