Fibre (Fiber) vs Copper as Fast As Possible

Techquickie

23 Dec 201405:07

Summary

TLDRThe video compares copper and fiber optic cables in the 'ultimate bandwidth challenge.' Copper, a traditional technology, is widely deployed and cheaper but has limitations in speed and distance. Fiber optic cables, utilizing light to transmit data, offer significantly higher capacity, speed, and resistance to interference. However, they are more expensive to install. The video explains the current trend toward hybrid networks, where fiber is used for backbone infrastructure and copper for last-mile connections. Ultimately, fiber offers a future-proof solution, but widespread adoption is still in progress.

Takeaways

⚡ Copper cables have been in use since the 20th century and are highly conductive, making them great for carrying power and signals.
🔄 Copper cables transmit data by modulating and demodulating waveforms, but their data capacity is limited due to waveform degradation over distance.
💰 Copper is less expensive per unit distance compared to fiber optic cables, and it's widely deployed in existing infrastructure.
🌐 Fiber optic cables, invented in the 1970s, use light bursts to carry signals, allowing for higher data capacity and longer transmission distances than copper.
🚀 Light signals in fiber optic cables travel at around 200,000 km/second, and maintain signal integrity better over long distances.
🔒 Fiber optics are immune to electromagnetic interference and can handle multiple wavelengths of light, further increasing data transmission capacity.
💡 Fiber optics can use LEDs or lasers for data transmission, and fibers can be bundled together for future expandability.
🏗️ Despite its advantages, fiber is much more expensive per length compared to copper, which slows down its widespread adoption.
🔌 Hybrid deployments are common, where fiber is used for backbone infrastructure while copper runs handle the 'last mile' to individual customers.
🎬 Sponsors for videos can be fun! The example sponsor mentioned was Fractal Design, and the humor involved using glitter glue as part of the promotion.

Q & A

What is the key difference between copper and fiber optic cables in terms of signal transmission?
-Copper cables transmit signals using the movement of electrons through the wire, while fiber optic cables transmit signals using light bursts through a transparent glass core.
Why has copper been a long-standing choice for networking communications?
-Copper has been used since the early 20th century due to its high conductivity, making it ideal for carrying electrical power and signals over shorter distances. It's also less expensive and widely deployed.
What are the main limitations of copper cables for data transmission?
-Copper cables have limited data capacity because they can only carry a small number of waveforms, and these waveforms degrade quickly over longer distances. They are also more prone to electromagnetic interference.
What are the primary advantages of fiber optic cables over copper cables?
-Fiber optic cables offer much higher data capacity, maintain signal integrity over longer distances, are immune to electromagnetic interference, and can bundle multiple fibers for future expandability.
Why isn't fiber optic cable used everywhere despite its advantages?
-The cost of installing fiber optic cables is significantly higher than copper per unit distance, which makes it more expensive to deploy on a large scale. This has slowed down widespread adoption.
How do hybrid deployments of fiber and copper work in modern networks?
-Hybrid deployments use fiber optic cables as the backbone to serve multiple customers, while copper cables are used for the 'last mile' to individual homes. This setup balances speed, reliability, and cost efficiency.
What role does electromagnetic interference play in the choice between copper and fiber?
-Copper cables are susceptible to electromagnetic interference, which can degrade signal quality. Fiber optic cables are immune to this, making them more reliable in environments with high interference.
What are 'dark fibers,' and why are they installed during fiber optic installations?
-'Dark fibers' are unused fibers that are installed during the initial setup for potential future use. They provide scalability and flexibility for expanding the network without needing additional infrastructure.
What makes fiber optic cables suitable for transmitting data over long distances?
-Fiber optic cables can transmit data over long distances because the light signals they carry do not degrade as quickly as electrical signals in copper, allowing communication across thousands of kilometers, like undersea cables.
How do fiber optic cables handle increasing data demands compared to copper cables?
-Fiber optic cables can handle increasing data demands by transmitting multiple wavelengths of light simultaneously through a single fiber, effectively increasing their data capacity, which copper cannot do as efficiently.

Outlines

00:00

⚔️ The Ultimate Networking Battle: Copper vs Fiber

The first paragraph sets up the comparison between copper and fiber optic cables, framing it as a competition for bandwidth supremacy. It begins by discussing the history and functionality of copper wires, which have been in use since the early 20th century. Copper cables transmit data by modulating waveforms, but they have limitations, such as lower data capacity and signal degradation over long distances. Copper has two key advantages: it's cheaper and widely available due to its extensive deployment for telephone and television infrastructure. However, it struggles to compete with fiber in terms of speed and capacity.

05:01

💡 Fiber Optics: A Game-Changing Technology

This paragraph introduces fiber optic cables, highlighting their invention in the 1970s by Corning Inc. Fiber optics revolutionized data transmission by using light signals instead of electrical ones. These cables are made of transparent glass, allowing light to travel at incredibly high speeds over vast distances without significant signal degradation. Fiber optics are immune to electromagnetic interference and can transmit multiple wavelengths simultaneously. Despite their superior performance, fiber remains costly, making it less prevalent than copper in many areas. However, its long-term potential far exceeds that of copper.

💰 Fiber's Growing Appeal and Hidden Costs of Copper

The third paragraph dives into the financial side of the fiber vs copper debate. While fiber is initially more expensive, copper brings hidden costs. Copper cables are thicker, heavier, and more challenging to install, especially in existing underground infrastructures. Fiber's efficiency in carrying more data over long distances can reduce overall costs for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) as fewer repeaters are needed. This makes fiber more appealing in the long run, particularly for larger-scale deployments.

🔗 Hybrid Networks: The Present and Future of Internet Connectivity

This paragraph explains that, although fiber offers numerous advantages, most homes won’t get direct fiber connections soon. Instead, ISPs are using hybrid networks where fiber serves as the backbone, with copper cables covering the 'last mile' to individual homes. This compromise delivers good speed and reliability while minimizing costs for ISPs. The narrative touches on the economic challenges that ISPs face in upgrading their infrastructure to full fiber networks.

✨ Sponsor Segment: Fractal Design and Glitter Glue Adventures

The final paragraph transitions into a playful sponsor segment for Fractal Design, a company known for its Scandinavian-inspired design and computer hardware. The script humorously describes a failed experiment with glitter glue, resulting in a lighthearted moment where the host becomes 'pretty and sparkly' for the audience. The paragraph ends with a thank-you to the sponsor and a reminder for viewers to engage with the video by liking, disliking, or commenting.

🔔 Call to Action: Like, Comment, Subscribe!

In this brief concluding paragraph, viewers are encouraged to subscribe to the channel, like the video, and leave comments with suggestions for future episodes. A light-hearted message is directed at a person named Nick, adding a personal touch to the sign-off.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Copper cables

Copper cables are the traditional form of networking infrastructure, used since the early 20th century. They rely on the movement of electrons to carry signals, modulating waveforms to transfer data. In the video, copper cables are presented as reliable but outdated compared to modern fiber optics, particularly in terms of bandwidth and signal degradation over distance.

💡Fiber optic cables

Fiber optic cables use light bursts to transmit data, allowing for faster and more efficient signal transmission over longer distances. The video highlights how fiber optics outperform copper cables, especially in terms of speed, capacity, and resistance to signal degradation. Despite their higher cost, fiber is seen as the future of networking due to its superior performance.

💡Bandwidth

Bandwidth refers to the maximum data transfer rate of a network connection. The video frames the competition between copper and fiber cables around their respective bandwidths, with fiber having a much higher capacity for data transmission due to its ability to carry more waveforms over longer distances without degradation.

💡Electromagnetic interference

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is the disturbance caused by electromagnetic waves, which can degrade or disrupt signal transmission. The video points out that fiber optic cables are immune to EMI, a significant advantage over copper cables, which are vulnerable to such interference, especially in environments with many electrical devices.

💡Modem

A modem is a device that modulates and demodulates signals for transmission over networks. In the case of copper cables, it converts the analog waveform data into digital signals and vice versa. The modem plays a crucial role in copper cable communication, but fiber optics do not rely on modems in the same way due to their use of light signals.

💡Distance limitations

Distance limitations refer to the maximum range over which a signal can be transmitted without degradation. Copper cables experience significant signal loss over long distances, while fiber optics can maintain signal integrity over thousands of kilometers. The video contrasts the two technologies, with fiber being superior for long-distance communication.

💡Hybrid deployments

Hybrid deployments use both fiber and copper cables in network infrastructures. The video explains that fiber serves as a high-speed backbone, while copper is used for 'last mile' connections to individual homes or businesses. This approach balances cost and performance, as full fiber deployment is still too expensive for many areas.

💡Data capacity

Data capacity is the amount of data that can be transmitted over a network connection at any given time. Fiber optic cables have a far greater data capacity than copper, as they can transmit multiple wavelengths of light simultaneously. This makes fiber a more scalable solution for the increasing demands of modern internet use.

💡Cost efficiency

Cost efficiency refers to the balance between performance and cost. Although fiber optic cables are more expensive than copper cables, the video argues that fiber can serve more customers and carry more data, reducing costs for internet service providers (ISPs) in the long run. This makes fiber a better long-term investment despite its upfront cost.

💡Latency

Latency is the delay in data transmission over a network. Fiber optics have lower latency compared to copper cables, meaning data travels faster with less delay. The video mentions that fiber's ability to maintain high-speed data transmission over long distances is crucial for reducing latency, making it ideal for applications that require real-time data transfer, like streaming and online gaming.

Highlights

Copper wires have been used since the 20th century for communications and power delivery.

Copper wires carry signals by modulating and demodulating a waveform, converting it to analog or digital signals.

Copper cables are limited in data capacity and degrade quickly over long distances.

Two advantages of copper today: it's less expensive per distance and is already widely deployed.

Fiber optic cables, invented by Corning Inc. in the 1970s, use light bursts to transmit signals instead of electrical waves.

Fiber optic cables consist of a transparent glass core, enabling high-speed data transmission over long distances.

Fiber optic signals travel at around 200,000 km/second, comparable to electrical signals but maintain integrity better over long distances.

Optical signals are immune to electromagnetic interference, offering a major advantage over copper.

Fiber optic cables can bundle multiple fibers together, allowing for future expandability and higher capacity.

Fiber cables are compatible with LEDs or lasers and can transmit multiple wavelengths simultaneously for increased bandwidth.

Although fiber offers many advantages, its higher installation cost makes it less common for last-mile connections today.

Hybrid deployments with a fiber backbone and copper for the last mile are common to balance performance and cost.

Fiber's cost per customer decreases as it carries more data compared to copper, making it appealing for ISPs.

Using fiber reduces the need for repeaters in long-distance connections, lowering infrastructure costs for ISPs.

Hybrid fiber-copper networks provide solid speeds and reliability while being cost-effective for ISPs.