Fiber optic

[Scott K]

My county/city is looking into running fiber optic throughout the county. I know fiber optic is fast and clear, but is the future in fiber optic, or wireless? Is it going to be worth the hassle to run fiber optic, when wireless is making huge strides in the internet/phone/tv?

[Jim Almquist]

Fiber is a excellent medium for moving data. It is hard to grasp just how much data can run through a fiber cable. That is until it gets cut

Found this on the web:

Finally, someone has reached fiber optic speeds so fast we can’t even think of how they could possibly be useful. Two separate research teams using different methods have topped the 100 terabits per second mark through a single optical fiber. That’s enough data flow to download three seamless months worth of HD video in a single second.

The researchers used two different tricks to up their data rates, one altering the light itself, the other by carving up new channels within the fiber. The first approach, via NEC, notched 101.7 terabits per second over 100 miles using a novel scheme that stuffs pulses from 370 different lasers into the single pulse that reaches the end receiver.

[DTro]

In a nutshell, I would say yes it's worth it.

[LMITOUT]

Gotta have a network backbone.

[upnorth]

I know for a fact that a single fiber link can carry 10 Gig and will probably be able to carry more soon. Yeah it is worth it. We keep asking more of Internet carriers and as said before, ya need the backbone to carry it all.

[BobT]

I agree. I don't think the fiber-optic cable is the bottleneck at this time. It's the transmitters and receivers that can't take full advantage of the fiber's potential. Correct me if I'm wrong but I suspect wireless is still at a snail's pace by comparison.

[Scott K]

I do realize that fiber optic right now is the best option, but can/will wireless be easily modified to transfer equal data without all ground work?

[delcecchi]

I know for a fact that a single fiber link can carry 10 Gig and will probably be able to carry more soon. Yeah it is worth it. We keep asking more of Internet carriers and as said before, ya need the backbone to carry it all.

Actually a fiber can carry 10G or so per color of light and 40 colors per fiber. Equipment costs a little more but it can be worth it.

[delcecchi]

I do realize that fiber optic right now is the best option, but can/will wireless be easily modified to transfer equal data without all ground work?

The short answer is NO. Limited spectrum and all that.

[upnorth]

N will carry up to 300 MB but that is over limited distance. And the longer 700 and 900 mhz and microwave have longer distance but just won't carry that much data. And Wireless is broadcast technology which means it is all competing for space in that frequency band. Wireless will more than likely get a lot more efficient, but it is not there for the long haul just yet.

[Dave S]

Fiber optics has come along way over the last 15 years and likely won't have a replacement within the next 3-4 decades or until wireless has a huge breakthrough and becomes more efficient. At the moment, it is the best option.

Consider yourself lucky that Sibley County is looking to upgrade their infrastructure. I just called Qwest today to cancel our $50/month land line phone service since there's no plans across the river to upgrade the infrastructure here.

[delcecchi]

Fiber optics has come along way over the last 15 years and likely won't have a replacement within the next 3-4 decades or until wireless has a huge breakthrough and becomes more efficient. At the moment, it is the best option.

Consider yourself lucky that Sibley County is looking to upgrade their infrastructure. I just called Qwest today to cancel our $50/month land line phone service since there's no plans across the river to upgrade the infrastructure here.

Actually wireless will never catch up to fibre optics. Nyquist limit assures that. Not enough bandwidth available in usable spectrum.

[riverwader]

Fiber is the best bet. If anything the wireless networks will be connected by the fibers. The fiber doesnt have any RF interference. In the 12 years I have been in telecom fiber has gotten crazy. Major long haul lines are now running 100gb per second. Large buisness are easily getting 10 gig ethernet lines. No matter how things turn out fiber will make the wireless faster.