As cabling installers are increasingly called upon to put in fiber backbones-and even fiber to the desk-it becomes essential that they understand this difference between copper and glass, and develop appropriate installation procedures for each medium. On the outside, fiber-optic cable may look similar to copper-wire cable, but what lies beneath the sheath is very different.
Although it is not a fragile medium, optical-fiber cable must be carefully and expertly installed to realize its full potential.
