Copper vs. Fiber Optic Cabling<\/h1><\/div>![\"Fiber](\"https:\/\/iesmartsystems.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/fiber-optic-vs-copper-cable-min.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div>When a road is narrow or paved in gravel, it\u2019s easy to understand why traffic has to move slower or why it needs frequent repair. When the cables that carry data for the internet aren\u2019t up to snuff, the problems are hidden from the naked eye but are felt acutely by everyone using the network.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important to evaluate the technology that you plan to use when installing structured cabling<\/a>. There are no two ways about the role that copper wiring has played in technological advancement \u2014 even though humans have used copper since 5000 BCE, it\u2019s arguably been just as critical to the Information Age as it was to the Copper Age.<\/p>\nThat said, fiber optic cable represents a dramatic improvement for internet connectivity over copper, including the ability to use hair-thin filaments of glass and transmit pulses of laser light across impressive distances.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Speed<\/h2><\/div>Measuring the performance of your network with a simple concrete speed number is very attractive, and for the most part, bandwidth serves that purpose (although other factors play in). Copper cable maxes out at 40 Gbps, whereas fiber optic cable\u2019s theoretical speed limit is the speed of light. Theory aside, fiber internet has higher bandwidth. Real-world data transmission usually clocks at many times that of copper structured cable<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>Electromagnetic Interference<\/h2><\/div>![\"power](\"https:\/\/iesmartsystems.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/power-lines-min.png\" "\\"power")
<\/span><\/div><\/div>Copper wires use the same electrons that virtually every electronic device on the planet uses in one form or another. It is also vulnerable to the presence of the electromagnetic fields created by those devices \u2014 including being tapped and diverted by malicious actors. In some more extreme cases, copper wire has picked up energy from nearby high-power transmitters. This resulted in interference and overheating of the copper wires. Contrast that with fiber optics, which are impervious to electromagnetic interference and are extremely hard to tap and bug.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Distance<\/h2><\/div>It may surprise you to hear that the data or signal transmitted over copper wires degrades over a long enough distance (94% loss of signal over distances greater than 330 ft). For that reason, networks using copper cable require repeaters to pick the signal up and boost it over the next section of cable. Fiber optic cables allow data connection over much greater distances while losing only a few percent of the full signal quality.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Future-Proofing For The Internet Of Things<\/h2><\/div>![\"data](\"https:\/\/iesmartsystems.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/data-cable-min.png\" "\\"data-cable-min\\"")
<\/span><\/div><\/div>As people and businesses use more devices and applications demanding increased bandwidth, the creakiness of copper networks will likely prove unsustainable in the long term. Copper cable stretches across the earth many times over, and it will continue to service rural areas. For metropolitan areas with residents and businesses demanding greater speeds and better quality of service, fiber optic structured cable<\/a> will eventually replace copper entirely. Once installed, the lifespan of fiber optic cable is much longer than copper. Not only does fiber have the potential to meet the bandwidth demands of tomorrow\u2019s devices, but it can also do so for many more years.<\/p>\n<\/div>Cost Of Copper vs. Fiber Optic Cabling<\/h2><\/div>![\"copper](\"https:\/\/iesmartsystems.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/construction-wiring-min.png\" "\\"construction")
<\/span><\/div><\/div>Thus far the advantages of fiber optic over copper seem obvious, and they are. When it comes to costs, fiber optic cable installation is significantly more expensive. It used to be about twice as much as copper cable, but that price has dropped as the technology and manufacturing processes have matured. The true cost of fiber optic isn\u2019t represented in installation. Due to its superior performance, lifespan, and lower maintenance requirements, the cost to operate a fiber-optic network is comparable to a copper network.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/span><\/div>When a road is narrow or paved in gravel, it\u2019s easy to understand why traffic has to move slower or why it needs frequent repair. When the cables that carry data for the internet aren\u2019t up to snuff, the problems are hidden from the naked eye but are felt acutely by everyone using the network.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important to evaluate the technology that you plan to use when installing structured cabling<\/a>. There are no two ways about the role that copper wiring has played in technological advancement \u2014 even though humans have used copper since 5000 BCE, it\u2019s arguably been just as critical to the Information Age as it was to the Copper Age.<\/p>\n That said, fiber optic cable represents a dramatic improvement for internet connectivity over copper, including the ability to use hair-thin filaments of glass and transmit pulses of laser light across impressive distances.<\/p>\n<\/div> Measuring the performance of your network with a simple concrete speed number is very attractive, and for the most part, bandwidth serves that purpose (although other factors play in). Copper cable maxes out at 40 Gbps, whereas fiber optic cable\u2019s theoretical speed limit is the speed of light. Theory aside, fiber internet has higher bandwidth. Real-world data transmission usually clocks at many times that of copper structured cable<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div> Copper wires use the same electrons that virtually every electronic device on the planet uses in one form or another. It is also vulnerable to the presence of the electromagnetic fields created by those devices \u2014 including being tapped and diverted by malicious actors. In some more extreme cases, copper wire has picked up energy from nearby high-power transmitters. This resulted in interference and overheating of the copper wires. Contrast that with fiber optics, which are impervious to electromagnetic interference and are extremely hard to tap and bug.<\/p>\n<\/div> It may surprise you to hear that the data or signal transmitted over copper wires degrades over a long enough distance (94% loss of signal over distances greater than 330 ft). For that reason, networks using copper cable require repeaters to pick the signal up and boost it over the next section of cable. Fiber optic cables allow data connection over much greater distances while losing only a few percent of the full signal quality.<\/p>\n<\/div> As people and businesses use more devices and applications demanding increased bandwidth, the creakiness of copper networks will likely prove unsustainable in the long term. Copper cable stretches across the earth many times over, and it will continue to service rural areas. For metropolitan areas with residents and businesses demanding greater speeds and better quality of service, fiber optic structured cable<\/a> will eventually replace copper entirely. Once installed, the lifespan of fiber optic cable is much longer than copper. Not only does fiber have the potential to meet the bandwidth demands of tomorrow\u2019s devices, but it can also do so for many more years.<\/p>\n<\/div> Thus far the advantages of fiber optic over copper seem obvious, and they are. When it comes to costs, fiber optic cable installation is significantly more expensive. It used to be about twice as much as copper cable, but that price has dropped as the technology and manufacturing processes have matured. The true cost of fiber optic isn\u2019t represented in installation. Due to its superior performance, lifespan, and lower maintenance requirements, the cost to operate a fiber-optic network is comparable to a copper network.<\/p>\nSpeed<\/h2><\/div>
Electromagnetic Interference<\/h2><\/div>
<\/span><\/div>Distance<\/h2><\/div>
Future-Proofing For The Internet Of Things<\/h2><\/div>
<\/span><\/div>Cost Of Copper vs. Fiber Optic Cabling<\/h2><\/div>
<\/span><\/div>
![\"copper](\"https:\/\/iesmartsystems.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/conduit-min.png\" "\\"conduit-min\\"")
<\/span><\/div>![\"i.e.](\"https:\/\/iesmartsystems.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/IESS-Icon-Only.png\" "\\"IESS-Icon-Only\\""){kind=icon}
<\/span><\/div>