The Cable War: Copper vs Fiber

The copper-vs-fiber war that raged for years, and included comments like, "The only good use for copper cable is as a pull string for fiber-optic cable," has come to an end. Interestingly enough, however, many of the reasons the war lasted so long still exist.

Breakthroughs in Copper Technology

Ethernet was once as slow as 10 Mbps over 100 m. It pushes data over electrical current. With the 802 IEEE Alliances, speeds now reach 2.5 and 5 Gbps, and are currently on track for 10 Gigabit Ethernet.

VDSL2 technology has further changed the ballgame. VDSL2 uses up to 30 MHz of bandwidth to provide speeds of up to 100 Mbps both downstream and upstream within 1000ft over a single pair of twisted copper.

So former limits are expanding exponentially. VDSL2 also paved the way for G.Fast. Test labs are currently reaching speeds of up to 150 Mbits over 500 m loops. Keep your eyes peeled for this tech to start rolling out soon.

What’s driving this movement is primarily consumer popularity.

Ethernet extenders and SPF modems are particularly popular, because they help homeowners and businesses alike save money.

The market can count on consumers continuing to rely on ethernet devices. Accordingly, manufacturers are appropriately motivated to spend money developing their products. This leads to further R&D, and thus the cycle begins anew.

Here are the most common copper cable types for reference:

• Cat 5e – The “e” stands for “enhanced” and these cables are produced under more stringent parameters. These are slightly better than straight Cat 5 cable.

• Cat 6 – Costs more than Cat 5, but it also supports higher bandwidths than the Cat 5 and 5e products. Last but not least, these cables are shielded.

• Cat 6a – The “a” stands for “augmented” and these have the capability of sustaining higher speeds over greater distances.

• Cat 7 – Supports up to 100 Gbps over a range of 15 m *Not recognized by the TIA/EIA*

As you can see, current technology is stretching the dimensions of twisted copper capabilities.

Breakthroughs in Fiber Optic Technology

Fiber Optic technology falls into 2 categories: single and multi.

Single Mode uses laser light to send signals over long distances. Diodes send signals over Multi Mode cables for installs that cover shorter distances.

Single mode fiber can reach distances 50x greater than multimode can accommodate but it’s worth noting that it’s more expensive.

Multi mode fiber – the short distance version, typically reaches up to 10 Gbits/s over lengths of up to 600 m or 2000 ft.

Speeds aren’t only increasing in the ethernet camp. As recently as 2014, researchers were able to achieve data speeds of a staggering 255 Terabytes per second (Tbps).

“A joint group of researchers from the Netherlands and the US have smashed the world speed record for a fiber network, pushing 255 terabits per second down a single strand of glass fiber. This is equivalent to around 32 terabytes per second — enough to transfer a 1GB movie in 31.25 microseconds (0.03 milliseconds), or alternatively, the entire contents of your 1TB hard drive in about 31 milliseconds.” – Extreme Tech

To give you some perspective, the most efficient single-fiber links reach their capacity at around 100gbs. Do the math.

According to Extreme Tech, 255Tbps could supersede the net total of all traffic flowing through the entire internet during peak hours. Wow.

That’s a lot of data reaching its destination at light speed.

Fiber optic is definitely a great choice. In fact, in the previous administration there was an initiative to cable up the country using fiber optic.

Sadly, the powers that be ran out of cash. So, it was back to square one. This failure does not reflect upon the technology’s features, but rather its cost. Until manufacturers find a less expensive way to produce it, it’ll most likely continue to be used sparingly.

Advantages of Fiber Optic Cables Over Copper Cables

1. Greater Bandwidth

Copper cables were originally designed for voice transmission and have a limited bandwidth. Fiber optic cables provide more bandwidth for carrying more data than copper cables of the same diameter. Within the fiber cable family, single mode fiber delivers up to twice the throughput of multimode fiber.

2. Faster Speeds

Fiber optic cables have a core that carries light to transmit data. This allows fiber optic cables to carry signals at speeds that are only about 31 percent slower than the speed of light—faster than Cat5 or Cat6 copper cables. There is also less signal degradation with fiber cables.

3. Longer Distances

Fiber optic cables can carry signals much farther than the typical 328-foot limitation for copper cables. For example, some 10 Gbps single mode fiber cables can carry signals almost 25 miles. The actual distance depends on the type of cable, the wavelength and the network.

4. Better Reliability

Fiber is immune to temperature changes, severe weather and moisture, all of which can hamper the connectivity of copper cable. Plus, fiber does not carry electric current, so it’s not bothered by electromagnetic interference (EMI) that can interrupt data transmission. It also does not present a fire hazard like old or worn copper cables can.

5. Thinner and Sturdier

Compared to copper cables, fiber optic cables are thinner and lighter in weight. Fiber can withstand more pull pressure than copper and is less prone to damage and breakage.

6. More Flexibility for the Future

Media converters make it possible to incorporate fiber into existing networks. The converters extend UTP Ethernet connections over fiber optic cable. Modular patch panel solutions integrate equipment with 10 Gb, 40 Gb and 100/120 Gb speeds to meet current needs and provide flexibility for future needs. The panels in these solutions accommodate a variety of cassettes for different types of fiber patch cables.

7. Lower Total Cost of Ownership

Although some fiber optic cables may have a higher initial cost than copper, the durability and reliability of fiber can make the total cost of ownership (TCO) lower. And, costs continue to decrease for fiber optic cables and related components as technology advances.

Final Thoughts

Money talks. Market philosophy walks.

Ultimately the best decision is up to property owners. And, the best solution will be defined by the one capable of delivering the best installation at the lowest cost possible.

Customers know their budgets and their needs.

By staying up to date and educating customers, you can both deliver excellent results and earn repeat business from improved customer loyalty.

Knowledge is power. If you have questions of the technologies you need for either application, please reach out to our experts!