Quote:
Originally Posted by altis
Not true I'm afraid Stuart!
Optical fibres still suffer from attenuation and, more critically, dispersion like copper cable - it's just that it tends to be at higher data rates.
Multi-mode fibre - the sort most common - is good for 1Gbps for up to only about 500m or 2km at 100Mbps. More details here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-mode_fiber
For longer distances we use single-mode fibre which has less dispersion. The fibre and the interfaces are much more expensive but are good for some 10s of kilometers - but not 200 miles!
A bit more overview:
http://www.fiber-optics.info/articles/fiber-types.htm |
I have worked on fibre's that are running well over 100 miles
But you would not want to look at the end of the fibre with the laser on
I have just today been involved in 2 links running 10 gig each at 50 miles.
but as for BT running 100mbit. It will be along time before they offer it to the masses. A small trial in one area will be all they will offer just to be able to say WE CAN.