Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
What should be your choice?
The fiber-versus-copper issue can be reduced to three questions:
Should fiber be used because of its greater bandwidth and for future migration
to higher-speed networking?
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What are the cost implications of installing fiber over copper?
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Are there any special applications that favor fiber over cooper?
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The bandwidth question is a moving target. Technology simply will not stay
still, so we might as well give up trying to say with certainty what the future will
bring. We can say one thing for certain: Future networking applications will use
much more data bandwidth than in general use today. Copper twisted-pair tech-
nologies, particularly with the use of enhanced Category 5e products, easily support
100 to 1000 Mbps now. Of course, fiber can certainly take that signal over longer
distances, but 100 m is all that is required in horizontal cabling.
The question of relative cost is easier to approach. Fiber proponents have
stated that installed fiber costs only about 20% more than Category 5e copper.
Fiber-optic cable is indeed much less expensive than it used to be.
However, users may wish to use protective innerduct or use more expensive
strengthened cable. In addition, no one would argue that the interface adapters for
network equipment and hubs cost more for fiber-optic capability.
How much do the installation components relative to copper and cable cost?
Let's look at fiber versus copper termination components first. The traditional
drawback to fiber installation has been the amount of time it takes to prepare,
cleave, epoxy, and polish each fiber connection. New, quick-termination fiber con-
nector assemblies are available that cut termination time to about 1 minute per con-
nector. However, these connectors may cost (the end-user) about $10 each, so you
are trading installation labor for component cost.
Adding the cost of the fiber-optic outlet box with one duplex 568SC adapter
(total cost about $35) to the cost of the two quick-termination connectors yields a
fiber termination components cost of about $55. In contrast, a good-quality
Category 5e modular connector and plate would cost about $15 (to the end-user).
Installation labor, at best, would be approximately the same, but the fiber termina-
tion requires the purchase of an installation kit, at a cost of approximately $500 to
$1,000.
Cable prices bounce around a lot because of periodic shortages in plenum-
rated materials, but the ratios remain about the same. If the installation calls for
plenum-rated cable, then plenum-rated jacketing and inner materials must be used
even for fiber cable. The recent plenum price for two-strand plenum 62.5/125 fiber
