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By
Michelle Kennedy
Dot Com Magazine
The smart home. The smart office. Satellites, networks,
wireless. The options for getting your home and office online,
connected or up and running are almost too numerous to mention.
The idea of yet another way to connect designed to save
the consumer money is enough to send CEOs and office managers
running for cover underneath their typewriter stands.
But
wait, says Amelia Systems Vice-president Kathleen Kobal,
there is one more option that just might solve a lot of
your problems - fiber optics.
Fiber
optics are long, thin strands of very pure glass about the
diameter of a human hair. They are arranged in bundles called
optical cables and used to transmit light signals over long
distances.
Just
how does an optical fiber transmit light?
According
to Howstuffworks.com, the answer is simple physics: "Suppose
you want to shine a flashlight beam down a long, straight
hallway. Just point the beam straight down the hallway -
light travels in straight lines, so it is no problem. What
if the hallway has a bend in it? You could place a mirror
at the bend to reflect the light beam around the corner.
What if the hallway is very winding with multiple bends?
You might line the walls with mirrors and angle the beam
so that it bounces from side-to-side all along the hallway.
This is exactly what happens in an optical fiber.
"The light in a fiber-optic cable travels through the
core (hallway) by constantly bouncing from the cladding
(mirror-lined walls), a principle called total internal
reflection. Because the cladding does not absorb any light
from the core, the light wave can travel great distances.
However, some of the light signal degrades within the fiber,
mostly due to impurities in the glass. The extent that the
signal degrades depends on the purity of the glass and the
wavelength of the transmitted light."
So,
how, exactly, are fiber optics revolutionizing the telecommunications
industry?
Compared
to conventional metal (copper) wire, optical fibers are:
* Less expensive - Several miles of optical cable can be
made cheaper than equivalent lengths of copper wire. This
saves your provider (cable TV, Internet) and you money.
* Thinner
- Optical fibers can be drawn to smaller diameters than
copper wire.
* Higher carrying capacity - Because optical fibers are
thinner than copper wires, more fibers can be bundled into
a given-diameter cable than copper wires. This allows more
phone lines to go over the same cable or more channels to
come through the cable into your cable TV box.
* Less
signal degradation - The loss of signal in optical fiber
is less than in copper wire.
* Light signals - Unlike electrical signals in copper wires,
light signals from one fiber do not interfere with those
of other fibers in the same cable. This means clearer phone
conversations or TV reception.
* Low
power - Because signals in optical fibers degrade less,
lower-power transmitters can be used instead of the high-voltage
electrical transmitters needed for copper wires. Again,
this saves your provider and you money.
* Digital
signals - Optical fibers are ideally suited for carrying
digital information, which is especially useful in computer
networks.
* Non-flammable
- Because no electricity is passed through optical fibers,
there is no fire hazard.
* Lightweight
- An optical cable weighs less than a comparable copper
wire cable. Fiber-optic cables take up less space in the
ground.
* Flexible
- Because fiber optics are so flexible and can transmit
and receive light, they are used in many flexible digital
cameras for the following purposes:
* Medical
imaging - in bronchoscopes, endoscopes, laparoscopes
* Mechanical
imaging - inspecting mechanical welds in pipes and engines
(in airplanes, rockets, space shuttles, cars)
* Plumbing
- to inspect sewer lines
"The
driving force for any company or municipality to invest
in a private, fiber optic network, is to save money by not
having to pay phone service providers," Kobal said.
"The improved performance and increased security are
also factors."
Even
with the potential savings and improved performance, Kobal
said that there is a hefty initial outlay for digging and
laying fiber optic lines, but that most companies recoup
their money within 2 or 3 years.
"And
the investment is generally well-worth the frustration you
save," she said.
Dan Becker, the lead sales associate for Amelia Systems,
said that he encounters many potential customers who are
intrigued by the idea of a fiber optic network, but who
are afraid to install one. One of his main jobs is getting
Information Technology directors over that fear.
"Obviously,
the upfront cost is a little scary," Becker said. "But
many people are also afraid of expanding their equipment
to outside a locked room. Other phone companies oftentimes
try to scare customers away from the idea. But once we let
them know that we will help them administer the network
and get it off the ground, they are usually fine."
Amelia Systems has worked with local municipalities, large
corporations and school districts to get their network up
and running.
"Fiber
optics allow them to build a robust network," he said.
"They get more speed and bandwidth, plus the ability
to administer their own voice calls and transmit data and
video between schools. Like a school could transmit a football
game from the stadium and have a live feed to the local
cable station."
Amelia
Systems, which is one of the only women-owned technology
company in the state, has been in business for 10 years.
In an
ever-changing technology atmosphere, Kobal said that Amelia
Systems stays in business because they are flexible with
the changes in technology.
Evolving
from computer support to Web development to fiber optic
engineering has not been difficult for the company - they
have simply added to their repertoire as need, and the economy,
have required.
"It's
not an unusual thing for us to change," she said. "ITs'
trends are temporary and very cyclical. If a company is
flexible, it can be successful."
Amelia
Systems - www.ameliasys.com
http://www.fotec.com/fiberu-online/fuonline.htm</a>
- Fiber-U Online Training
http://www.fotec.com/teach_fo/
- Fiber Optics for Schools
http://www.startech.com/fiberoptics/
- What are fiber optics?
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