This document discusses the history and advantages of optical fiber over copper wire cables for data transmission. It provides:
1. A brief history of the development of optical fibers, including early experimentation transmitting images in the 1930s, the introduction of lasers in the 1960s, and the development of glass coatings in the 1970s to reduce light loss.
2. The key advantages of optical fibers, which include being thinner, having higher carrying capacity, less signal degradation, using light signals, being more flexible and lightweight, and being non-flammable.
3. The main disadvantages of optical fibers compared to copper cables, which are higher cost per meter and requiring more training and expensive equipment to splice and