Uses

• Fiber optic cables transmit light waves.optical fibre (fiber) 2 image by BlueMiniu from Fotolia.com
  
  Fiber optic cables and coaxial cables both transmit audio, video, and data. In medicine, optical fibers--because they permit the "piping" of light--uniquely let doctors peer inside a patient's body to make diagnoses without surgery.
  
  

How They Work

• Fiber optic cables used for long-distance communications.Fiber cable hanging loose on pole image by Pezography from Fotolia.com
  
  In fiber optic cables, an electrooptic modulator converts electrical signals into laser- or electrode-generated light bursts that shoot down the length of the cable's glass core. The light waves convert back into electric current for decoding at the receiving end. Glass fibers can transmit clean signals over distances of up to 13,000 miles (20,917 kilometers).
  
  Coaxial cable conducts encoded alternating electric current between locations at radio frequencies of 50 megahertz and above. The current travels outward from the source and returns, reversing direction millions to a billion times a second. To send radio frequency signals over long distances without signal loss requires boosting the current repeatedly.
  
  

How They Are Built

• An active fiber optic bundle.fiber optic computer cables image by Andrew Brown from Fotolia.com
  
  Optical fiber is a very thin coated strand of transparent glass or plastic capable of transmitting light. Cables bundle these fibers around a central, hard wire in a core tube that is wrapped with layers of protective material. Cables are coated with a polyethylene or Teflon housing.
  
  In the coaxial cable, the inner copper conductor is surrounded by a tubular, typically semi-rigid insulating dielectric layer which in turn is sheathed in a conductive so-called “shield” of fine woven wire or thin metallic foil. Next comes the cable's outer surface, a thin insulating layer made of PVC or other impervious material. Coaxial cables are usually connected with radio frequency connectors.
  
  

Types

• Both types of cables work well over short distances.console d'administration clavier/??cran/souris rackable image by mattmatt73 from Fotolia.com
  
  There are two common types of fiber cables--single mode and multimode. Multimode cable has a larger diameter; however, both cables provide high bandwidth at high speeds. Single mode can provide more distance, but it is more expensive.
  
  The many types of coaxial cables available are classified according to impedance, dimensions, and intended use. The RG-6 type is the most commonly-used coaxial cable for home TV use. Don't confuse coaxial cable with other shielded cable only suitable for carrying audio signals.
  
  

Which is Better?

• Fiber optics has displaced coaxial in many applications. Fiber optics are not plagued by electrical interference. Because they deliver unattenuated signals over much longer distances and carry more data faster, they are the standard for connecting computer networks over large areas and delivering broadband-hungry web services like video conferencing and interactive gaming. Cost is comparable to that of copper cabling. Coaxial cable technically is still competitive for wiring home audio, video and computers, but there, too, fiber optics as well as WiFi are helping to make coaxial an obsolescent technology.