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These days it is nearly impossible to live without an Internet connection. And there is a good reason for that! Almost everything we do is online-based or is linked to some online task.

Here are some interesting and fun facts about fibre:

Fibre optics was first used in the medical field

When Fiber optic technology was first introduced in the 1950s, it was mainly used in the field of medicine to aid in the imaging and illumination components of endoscopes.

Back then, it was intended to help doctors see the insides of the human body without the need to slice it open. It was not until a decade later when it was discovered that the same technological principle can be used in telecommunications.

Fibre optics can’t burn you

One of the things that helped Fiber optics gain its popularity is because it uses light instead of electrical signals.

Aside from enabling faster internet connections, it also eliminated the overheating problem that was common copper wire cables. Fibre optics prevent the risk of burns when being handled and won’t cause any fires.

Fibre is more secure

Fibre optics do not radiate electromagnetic energy and therefore any information being transferred cannot be easily interfered with.

The only way for hackers to glean digital data would be to cut into the fibre cabling. This means that fibre optics is one of, if not the, safest ways to send sensitive information online.

Fibre is really fast

Fibre optic technology has the capacity to transmit digital information over long distances without interference through light signals.

The fastest speed ever recorded on a single optical fibre line is 43Tbps (terabits per second).

That is more than 1000 times faster than the fastest ADSL!

Fibre is eco friendly

Optic fibre is seen as a green technology because of its reduced energy consumption compared to other Internet connection types.

Unlike copper cables (used in traditional ADSL), the materials used to make optic fibre cables can never run out or become depleted. This is because fibre is made out of Silicon Dioxide – the second most abundant element on earth.

CDB

Article by
Conrad de Beer

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