It is certain that plenty of people have heard about dark fiber technology before, but most are not sure what it's all about. However, don't fret; it won't require a masters degree in engineering to understand it.
Dark fiber is essentially a term for fiber optic cables that are laid underground, but are currently not used. There are actually miles and miles of these unused cables laid out all across the united states.
How come they are not being used? Well, simply because it is quite expensive to go ahead and make them operational. It can easily amount to a hefty price tag. In order to fully grasp just how essential dark fiber technology is, it is best to back up a bit and get to know it just a little better.
Optical fiber, or commonly referred to as "fiber optic, actually refers to the technology wherein transmission of data as well as information is being carried inside glass, plastic strands, or fiber as light signals. The term dark fiber is given to the fibers that are unused or unlit, since there are no light signals travelling inside it.
Compared to copper wires, there are more advantages in using fiber optics; optical fibers transmit signals much faster and are not subject to interference. In addition, they have a bigger capacity and re-transmitting signals are not really needed.
As mentioned, you will find miles worth of dark fiber all across the united states simply because as installations of fiber optics were done before, companies thought it would be wiser to just pack in plenty of extra fibers for leasing to telephone, cable tv, or other companies that might be interested.
Nowadays, more and more companies are turning to dark fiber for their business needs since fiber optic technology has become increasingly reliable. However, even though the benefits might be obvious, there are also disadvantages to this.
The hefty price tag that comes along with "turning on" dark fiber is a big disadvantage. Since this technology is fairly new, in terms of being available in the market, the optic interface as well as transmitters are still priced high compared to electrical interfaces. Any business or company will expect to provide a huge chunk just to take advantage of this.
Moreover, the lack of an apparent standardization is another big disadvantage. Without standardized procedures, companies are hesitant to accept fiber optic technology.
Apart from that, utilizing this technology means having to get the right equipment that will work with it.
Besides, the advantages clearly outweigh the disadvantages. When you use fiber optic technology, you get to have unlimited bandwidth and depending on the route of the dark fiber, your rate of transmission will be so much faster.
Even though the price tag is still a bit high right now, this is slowly changing. Overabundance of dark fiber cables are currently helping to curb down the market price and allowing more companies to utilize this technology. Therefore, if your business needs to have a more efficient and reliable communications system, you might want to consider getting dark fiber today.
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