optical fibers?

Hans Sachetti: fiber optics are fiberglass strands capable of - in theory - transmitting data at up to 100 terabytes a second. So far though, we are able to use them to transmit data at about the same speed as a cable (100 megabytes per second)

Javier Holsonback: one word: Wikipedia.

Jonelle Eligio: In simple language Optical fibres are basically thin drawn tubes of glass. The outer layer / coating of these tubes / fibres are made of glass of different (higher) refractive index.In scientific terms "An optical fiber is a cylindrical dielectric waveguide that transmits light along its axis, by the process of total internal reflection. The fiber consists of a core surrounded by a cladding layer. To confine the optical signal in the core, the refractive index of the core must be greater than that of the cladding."Total Internal Reflection: - When light crosses a boundary between materials with different refractive indices, the light beam will be partially refract! ed at the boundary surface, and partially reflected. However, if the angle of incidence is greater (i.e. the ray is closer to being parallel to the boundary) than the critical angle--the angle of incidence at which light is refracted such that it travels along the boundary--then the light will stop crossing the boundary altogether and instead totally reflect back internally. This can only occur where light travels from a medium with a higher refractive index to one with a lower refractive index. "Optical fiber can be used as a medium for telecommunication and networking because it is flexible and can be bundled as cables. It is especially advantageous for long-distance communications, because light propagates through the fiber with little attenuation (reduction in amplitude & intensity of the signal) compared to electrical cables. Although fibers can be made out of transparent plastic, glass, or a combination of the two, the fibers used in long-distance telecommunications a! pplications are always glass, because of the lower optical att! enuation....Show more