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Difference between Optical Fiber and Coaxial Cable

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Both Optical fiber Cable and Coaxial Cable are the types of guided media
Optical fiber Cable: 
Optical Fiber is the type of guided media is made of plastics and glasses which is used to transmit the signal is in light form or optical form. It provides the high bandwidth (B). Its Installation and implementation is not so easy like coaxial cable. 

Coaxial Cable: 
Coaxial Cable is the type of guided media is made of Plastics, copper wires which is used to transmit the signal is in electrical form rather than light form. Its installation and implementation is easy but it is less efficient than optical fiber also it provides moderate high bandwidth (B) in comparison of optical fiber. 

S. No. Optical Fiber Coaxial Cable
1. Optical Fiber is used to transmit the signal/data is in light form. Coaxial Cable is used to transmit the signal/data is in electrical form.
2. Optical Fiber is made of plastics and glasses. Coaxial Cable is made of Plastics, copper wires etc.
3. Optical Fiber is high efficient. While Coaxial Cable is low efficient.
4. The cost of optical fiber is high. The cost of coaxial cable is less.
5. Optical cable is lighter in weights. Coaxial cable is heavier than optical fiber in weight.
6. Optical fiber’s diameter is small. Coaxial cable’s diameter is larger than optical fiber.
7. Installation and implementation of optical fiber is difficult. Installation and implementation of coaxial cable is easy.
8. In the optical fiber, there is highest noise immunity as they are unaffected by the electrical noise. Coaxial cable has finest noise immunity due to the shield provided.
9. These cables are not affected due to external magnetic field. Coaxial cables are less affected by the external magnetic field.
10. Power loss happens in optical fiber is caused by the absorption, scattering, dispersion and bending. Loss of power in coaxial cables is due to conduction only.
11. It uses 10BaseF, 100BaseFX, 1000BaseFx, and some other ethernet variants. It uses 10Base2 and 10Base5 ethernet variants.
12. Its maximum transmission speed is up to 10 Gbps. Its maximum transmission speed is up to 10 Mbps.
13. It offers high bandwidth and data rates in comparison to coaxial cable. It provides comparatively low bandwidth and data rates.
14.

Uses-

  • HDTV’s
  • Aircraft 
  • Medical field
  • Telephone connections

Uses-

  • Cable TV signals
  • Internet 
  • Telephone connections

Last Updated : 21 Feb, 2023
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