Fibre-optic networking

Fibre-optic cabling or optical fibre is used for high-speed networking applications using a modulated beam of light for signalling, rather than an electric current.

Fibre-optic cables are typically used for long-distance communications, as they suffer much less from signal attenuation than electrical cables, or where very high data rates are required.

For example, fibre-optic cabling is used for wide-area networks such as those that form the core of the internet, and also for backbone infrastructure inside datacentres, typically operating 10Gbit/s Ethernet.

Fibre connections are also being used to deliver a broadband internet service to consumer, although such Fibre to the Home (FTTH) deployments are still rare.