Fiber Optics, who owns them now, and why we do not use them?

Question

15 years ago Fiber Optics were suppused to be a coming thing, lots of cable was laid, but it was never really used. I believe I heard a few years back that some company had bought up most of the fiber optics that had been laid, do you know who that is? Secondly, why don't fiber optics get used?

Answer 1

Fiber optics are being used extensivly in the area of telecommunications. New technology has emerged to replace conventional fiber optics called photonic crystal fibers, they guide light by means of diffraction from a periodic structure, rather than the total internal reflection used by fiber optics.

Optical fiber is used extensively for transmission of data signals. TheTAT-8 transatlantic telephone cable is still in use, and companies such as AT&T, MCI, and U.S. Sprint use optical fiber cable to carry plain old telephone service (POTS) across their nationwide networks. Local telephone service providers use fiber to carry this same service between central office switches at more local levels, and sometimes as far as the neighborhood or individual home. Private networks are owned by firms such as IBM, Rockwell, Honeywell, banks, universities, Wall Street firms, and more.



Many new applications are being developed utlizing the dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM technology, which allows multiple wavelengths to be combined into one optical signal. Because of fiber optic technology’s immense potential bandwidth, 50 THz or greater, there are extraordinary possibilities for future fiber optic applications. Already, the push to bring broadband services, including data, audio, and especially video, into the home is well underway.

Other fiber optics currently being utilized include the 4B5BLF (4-Byte/5-Byte Local Fiber) is a multimode fiber optic cable specified for 100 Mbit/s data transmission in FDDI and ATM.

One of the fastest growing markets for fiber optics is intelligent transportation systems, smart highways with intelligent traffic lights, automated toll booths, and changeable message signs to give motorists information about delays and emergencies.

Answer 2

Verizon is suppose to be the leader in laying fiber optic lines. Supposedly they will have a fiber optic network nation wide within a couple of years or so. They may be too late though. There are other companies working on systems that use the electric power lines for sending data. One day you may have an Internet connection that comes right through a box plugged into an electric outlet. There are also cities such as San Francisco that are working to create a free wireless network that anyone in the city limits will be able to access. If this takes off, there may be no need in the future for either fiber optic lines or cable lines.

Answer 3

I'm not familiar with who, when and if fiber optics are owned by one company and I don't think that it is true. However, I know that all Telephone companies have access to the technology and the main reason that it is not used at this time is the cost of replacing the old cable lines as well as other newer and better technologies that are coming up. I also know that Verizon is using fiber optics and it is the best and the least expensive so far in comparison to other ISP's.



Hope this answers your question.



NDS

Answer 4

Fiber optic communication channels are still used, everywhere. Most of our telephone signals travel on them; we'd have been crowded out years ago otherwise. Although there are competing technologies, optical fiber has proven to be pretty much the workhorse of our cheap telecommunications these days. Check with your local phone company: you'll find that this is what they use. Wireless technologies are nifty, but they do not have the range nor the freedom from interference that fiber does.



What happened is that the great speculative period of fiber construction is pretty much over. But all that means is that it's being used. There are several inter-continental optical-fiber cables now beneath every ocean.

Answer 5

Fiber optic runs by skill of a form of glass fiber cable, so it really is light up to the node, then it really is switched over into signal over copper. In some international places they run fiber proper to the lessen, then it really is copper into the residing house. i have self assurance many US cities will run fiber to the lessen contained in the destiny because contained in the destiny it saves funds, fiber lasts continually, would not wade through a similar structure limitations as copper, and is worry-free to position in and preserve.