Refers to systems that use optical fibers. Fiber- optic communications networks have transformed the world. Barely starting in the late 1960s but gaining serious momentum in the 1980s, the phone companies began to replace their copper long distance trunks with fiber cable. Eventually, all transmission systems and networks are expected to become fiber based, even to the home. In time, the electronic circuits in computers may be partially or fully replaced with circuits of light, in which case fiber pathways would be used throughout the system. See optical fiber and fiber optics glossary.
Years ago, Alan Freedman, author of this encyclopedia, would never go on vacation without bringing work along. He has always tried to thoroughly understand a subject before writing about it, and nothing is more complicated than fiber optics. Even though Jeff Hecht's book is the best, some concepts are still mind boggling.
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