Optical Fiber & Fiber Patch Cables

 learn fiber optics Thorlabs manufactures and stocks a range of optical fibers and patch cables based on single mode (SM), polarization maintaining (PM), multimode (MM), or specialty (e.g., photonic crystal, double clad, and rare-earth doped) fiber. Choose from FC/PC, FC/APC, or SMA connectors. For use in the mid-IR spectral range, we also offer our IRphotonics^® line of fluoride optical fiber.In addition to our stocked offering, we have a custom patch cable service that can typically ship custom orders the same day they are placed. Please contact Tech Support for a quote on custom cables or for assistance selecting the right optical fiber for your application.

As of today optical fiber is the best Internet communication solution, faster than anything else and also have lower latency then all known technologies.The 1000Mbit/s that you can get today is ONLY the starting point regarding speed. Maximum speed is at least 3 000 000 000 times faster at 3Pbit/s.If the optical fiber is properly deployed in plastic conduits it will last at least 50 years and is easily replaced at a rather low cost.

All copper to the home will be replaced with optical fiber the coming twenty years. All copper based technologies are obsolete today. So just bite the bullit and take the cost. It will never get cheaper. The main cost is manual labour for digging the trench to deply the plastic conduits.

4G/5G or whatever generation of cellular communication are for mobile usage if everybody are starting to use it for basic Internet connectivity, it will be almost useless for mobile usage. Fixed usage should have a fixed solution.

Regarding speed, then sweetspot today is 200Mbit/s, nothing except optical fiber can deliver that 24/7 without problems.USA and UK is fore some strange reasons very late at deploying optical fiber except in highly populated suburbs.

Cable-TV based solutions for the “last mile" is just stupid, ADSL is just as stupid. Satellite Internet is not a solution it might be an intermediary solution during the time it takes to build the optical fiber network all the way to the premises or to places where it can never be economically justified. IF your premises have electrical connection thru the power grid, optical fiber is for you. If not, satellite Internet is the last possibility, but the cost will be much, much higher over a 10+ year period.

So to summarise, you will have optical fiber twenty years from now. When you get optical fiber you will ask yourself why you waited so long…