Fiber Optics: The Future Of The Internet

Outline Fiber Optics What is it? Research Questions History What it does today Types of Cables The Future

Fiber Optics What Is It? Fiber Optics are cables that are made of optical fibers that can transmit large amounts of information at the speed of light. (

Research Questions What can fiber optics do for us in the future? –Improve our communication –Faster internet connection What would the Internet look like if this could happen? –Streaming capabilities –Download capabilities What is being done to make this transition happen? –Government action –Private Companies at work

Research Resources Internet Library Magazines (IEEE)

History 1961-“Industry researchers Elias Snitzer and Will Hicks demonstrate a laser beam directed through a thin glass fiber. The fiber’s core is small enough that the light follows a single path, but most scientists still consider fibers unsuitable for communications because of the high loss of light across long distances.” ( Researchers find a way to super purify glass fibers At&t installs first set of fiber optic cables in major cities.

History First transatlantic cable First transpacific cable First Fiber Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG)

Present Telecommunications Internet Access Cable and Satellite Television Decorative Light Source

The Cable Fiber Optic have three major characteristics –Composed of fibers either glass or plastic and sometimes both –Are very flexible –Have different tips

Components Outside Jacket Cladding Core

Glass Fibers

Characteristics Glass Core Glass Cladding Ultra Pure Ultra Transparent Glass Made Of Silicon Dioxide Low Attenuation Popular among industries

Plastic Fibers

Characteristics Core Generally Consists Of Polymethyl Methacrylate (Acrylic Glass) (PMMA) Coated With A Fluoropolymer High Attenuation Used Mostly In Automotives Affordable Very Durable

Plastic Clad-Silica (PCS) Glass Fiber Core sometimes silicone Cladding is Plastic or silicone Silicone covering and insulators Not common Has Defects

Government Involvement United States Itself has fallen behind Europe Pace of fiber optic expansion has started to speed up again Research for having more soldiers at home base fighting using a robot

Private Companies Input Several Private Companies have offered large scale fiber optic networks Underground networks are already in place and are being used by secret societies UCSB itself has eight rings of fiber optic networks on campus

The Future

The Internet

Bandwidths of up to 10Gbps Streaming Whole Movies in HD Effortless video conferencing with no lagging Gaming in HD quality that never lags