The modern world is more connected than ever before and each year that passes, new innovative ideas are created and shared. Technology has made many things easier, but communication has been the most affected. These days, we can use our smartphones to send messages or call anyone anywhere in the world instantly. This is largely thanks to the internet, which allows near instant communication over global networks.
For decades, communication networks, including the Internet, relied upon copper cables. Much like the cables we use to transmit electricity, these cables carry information over large distances. However, they’ve since been replaced by modern fibre optics cables capable of carrying much data, meaning better global communication networks. In this article, we’ll show you what fibre optics are and how they’ve changed how we communicate.
What Are Fibre Optics?
It’s hard to picture a world without the high-speed instantaneous communication with people thousands of miles distant and almost instantaneous data transmission to any location. Over the past 50 years, optical fibres have revolutionised the telecommunications industry by making it possible to transmit data quickly and effectively over great distances.
Optical cables are made from extremely thin optical fibres. Glass is heated and stretched to the width of one human hair to create these fibres. Which are then bundled into a cable and covered in a protective material. Each fibre contains a hollow core through which light is directed. An optical signal is generated from an electrical signal and used to create light waves.
The light waves travel through the fibre core due to internal reflection. These waves can be modulated to carry information which is then received and converted into a digital signal at the other end. Fibre optics were first developed in the 1970s but have come a long way since then, allowing faster and more reliable data transfer.
Fibre optics provide a great number of benefits to traditional copper wiring. For one, optical signals can carry far more information than electrical ones. This means greater bandwidth and more information passed through a network within the same time frame. In addition, there is less signal interference making optical cables better suited to long range communication.
As costs have come down, fibre optic networks have become the primary form of high speed communications, powering phone and internet connections worldwide. The essential connection between optical fibre and electronic networking equipment is made possible by optical transceivers. Which enables the conversion of electrical signals into optical signals and vice versa.
The Future of Communication
There’s little doubt that fibre optics have revolutionised the way we communicate. It’s now possible to speak to people in all regions of the globe instantaneously with little lag or delay. This creates new possibilities for sharing ideas and diplomacy, ensuring our world is closer and societies are stronger and healthier. But what will come next in the evolution of communication technology?
While fibre optics remain the fastest communication, it’s not necessarily the end of communication innovation. Technological developments may result in new data transmission techniques faster than fibre optics. In the future, faster rates might be possible thanks to developments in wireless technology, quantum communication, or other data transfer methods.
In the future, we may be able to communicate at the speed of thought thanks to neural implants that allow us to interface directly with technology. While this is the stuff of science fiction, it could easily become a reality as our technology develops rapidly.
