What is the main advantage of using fiber optic cables over copper cables?

The primary advantage of using fiber optic cables over copper cables is their ability to transmit data at significantly higher speeds. Fiber optics utilize light signals to convey information, which allows them to transmit data over long distances without degradation, achieving much faster data rates than copper cables can provide. This speed is crucial for modern applications that demand high bandwidth, including video streaming, cloud computing, and large data transfers.

Copper cables, in contrast, are limited by their electrical conductivity and can suffer from signal loss and interference, especially over longer distances. This results in slower data transmission and a greater likelihood of interruptions or degraded performance.

Although factors like cost, flexibility, and ease of installation might have some impact on the choice between fiber optic and copper cables, the unmatched speed of fiber optics is a decisive factor for many telecommunications and data center applications, making it the key reason for their preference in high-speed networks.