FIBRE OPTIC REPAIR SOUTH WEST UK

Fibre optic cabling is considered the future of worldwide telecommunications, bringing many advantages to the 24 hour world we live in. And, here in the UK, we are going to be hearing a lot more about it; as we will start to rely on fibre optic more and more in our day to day lives, both at home and in the workplace, possibly without really realising it…

But, what is it and if it goes wrong or malfunctions, who do you call?

Fibre Optics

Alexander Graham Bell is credited with creating the first useable telephone in 1876 but, to not give credit to the people before him who created the technology would be erroneous of history. But some four years later, Bell created a ‘photophone’, a precursor of sorts to the modern technology we use today in both homes and business, both in terms of the phone, but also in modern-day broadband connections.

At a distance of 213 metres, he conducted a successful experiment with a wireless telephone transmission but it was not until the discovery and use of fibre optics that this technology could be truly developed.

How the magic happens

Data is transmitted through fibre optic cables using pulse of light, rather than electric signals as in the case of traditional copper wiring and, to top it all off, fibre optic cables are things of beauty to look at.

Clustered together, these thin glass or plastic fibres look simply magical with pulses of light running through them. Ultra-high speed in their capacity to shift and transmit data, fibre optics will be the buzzword in the UK for many years to come.

There are many applications for the use of fibre optic cables; as they are light and efficient, they are used on submarines, on airplanes, drones and other military applications as well as decoratively, such as fibre optic Christmas trees and signs.

Year after year you drag the Christmas tree from the loft, plug it in and the light changing fibre optics are beautiful but, maybe one year, after pulling it out of its mangled box for another festive season, the lights seem a little duller, some branches may not be lit… the cables may be damaged and, as a result not carrying the light to its full capacity.

As our unquenchable thirst for knowledge, delivered at a touch of a button within our homes and businesses becomes the norm, the technology that supplies this will need to evolve and ‘keep up’ with demand. Fibre optic cables have this capacity.

But, is the old system really broken?

Over the decades, mainstream telephone companies have relied on copper lines, with television companies relying on the trusty co-axial cable for the TV, as well as the Internet and voice over internet protocol (VoiP) phones (in other words, if you have a reasonable quality internet connection, your phone service could be provided through this connection, rather than from a phone company).

And who can sniffle at the reliability of these services thus far? Not many.

Copper wiring not only carries both voice and data signals, it also provides the power to operate a corded telephone. The phone company provides this power, and so, when the main power is ‘down’ or out, the chances were you still had a useable telephone.

But, our insatiable demand for the convenience and power of modern technological devices andgadgets means that the copper wire could not keep up with us; the amount of data that needs to be sent down its wires was far too big, rather like squashing an elephant through a letterbox. It has become, to all intents and purposes, the poor relation to the new kid on the block: fibre optic cabling.

In America, telephone companies are installing either all fibre optic cabling systems or hybrid ones, a mix of copper and fibre optics but there is a downside here – if power is not maintained, then the phones will not work. In times of national emergencies, from the devastating effects of a tornado hitting a town in tornado valley, to earthquakes along the fault lines, any power outage will take the phones too. Hybrid systems can just about carry enough power but change is on the horizon.

Copper is just not capable of doing what we need from our telecommunications systems in the modern 21st century world but fibre optic can.  For example, do you have caller ID to avoid those nuisance cold calls? Or maybe you use the Internet to talk to friends or relatives on the other side of the world, far more cheaply that the cost of using the ‘landline? If you want these, then fibre optic cabling is the system.

Slowly, telecommunication companies will replace or stop maintaining their copper systems, simply because the expense of running two systems is not cost-effective.

The modern replacement

Copper wiring offers unprecedented reliability, but slowly, the fibre optic cabling will be rolled out across the UK…

• Bandwidth capacity and speed – Traditional copper cabling only carries a fraction of the data load that fibre optic cables can; fibre optic cabling of the future is expected to carry an eye-watering 350 terabytes per second.
• Signal reliability – fibre optic cables, unlike copper wiring, are not electromagnetic hence, the signals they transmit and carry are less susceptible to electromagnetic interference. This greater efficiency means they can be placed virtually anywhere, and for longer stretches.
• Cost – we all know how the market for metals in recent years has been buoyant and so copper wiring is slowly increasing in cost but fibre optic cables have, for a long time, also been expensive. Slowly, the price is falling as manufacturing techniques and applications become more streamlined; eventually, it will be the material for telecommunications that is cost-effective, simply for the speed and reliability it offers.
• Physical strength and weight – copper cable are far heavier than fibre optic ones but there may be a weakness here that will need repairing from time to time. The tugging, twisting, rolling and general brute force that is sometimes involved in installing these fibre optic cables, even when protected in conduit (a heavy plastic tube), can bend, break or weaken, all contributing to a decrease in the efficiency of the light pulse passing through cable. And some say, the complexity of repair can make them out of reach for many businesses and home systems.

When things go wrong

Fibre optic cables can and do fail and, when this does happen, it can result in expensive downtime for a business, as well as the inconvenience for many families.

So, what can go wrong…?

• Twisted, damage cables – we have already hinted that when leads or cables are handled ‘roughly’, trapped or twisted, for example, groups of these fine cables can become damaged. If cables are constantly trapped or moved then cables will slowly become unable to transmit the data needed. Think back to the Christmas tree but, in terms of your home technology, this can be anything from swapping cables around frequently, bringing your whole system to a standstill.
• Work carried out on other parts of your network – including hardware repair or replacement can also impact on the cables, causing them to become stressed or fractured. Again, in the home, this can be introducing new PCs or other hardware and in the workplace, physical work on the servers or other equipment can lead to fibre optic cables being damaged.
• Broken or damaged cable further down the system – as the UK braces itself for the roll out and installation of fibre optic cables, we expect to be able to enjoy high-speed surfing and a reliable phone line, along with great connection from our TVs to online services. But, the heavy work involved in installing these cables can cause damage further down the run, away from the home or business property. There are companies that can reliably diagnose these issues and then for the carrier to repair these.

Complexity of repair

In the past, there has been some criticism related to the perceived complexity of repairing fibre optic cables. But, if you have an emergency repair, the chances are that it can be repaired quickly and with the minimum amount of down time and fuss.

On one hand, this is due to improved training and qualifications of specialist repair companies but, as we also begin to understand the capabilities of these cables more, equipment, tools and methods can be created to provide far more effective splicing of cables and patch repairs.

Emergency fibre optic repairs

Just like when you smell gas or the lights go out, the provision of the internet within a business or home is considered essential; from being able to make emergency telephone calls to carrying on running your commercial business via broadband, a glitch in the fibre optic cable needs repairing quickly.

Fusion splicing is the technical term to repairing a broken cable, effectively and without the loss of the ability to carry large quantities of data; it will need to be repaired to ‘industry standard’ in order for the bandwidth not to be compromised, so it pays to use a specialist company, with a reputation for high quality service.

But, all this said, fibre optic cables are incredibly reliable and robust, despite their perceived fragility and lightweight.

The technological age we now live in demands that we have the technological equipment and innovation to feed these demands and, fibre optic cabling can do this!

If you have any questions about fibre optic cabling, copper cabling or voice & data services please give us a call to discuss. We are here to help and speak in a non-technical confusing language.

If you live in the South West of England, including Plymouth, Exeter, Barnstaple, Bideford, Bristol, Taunton, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset and have a fibre optic emergency, CALL US NOW! We are specialists in fibre optic emergencies.