Generally speaking, fiber optic cables work by transmitting pulses of light through ultra-thin strands of glass (or plastic in the case of newer plastic optical fibers or POFs). Depending on the type of fiber cable, the strand or strands of glass fiber will have a diameter of anywhere from five to 100 microns, much thinner than a human hair.

Single Mode Fiber Optic Cables offer the highest data-transmission speeds in the industry up to 50 times faster than their multimode counterparts. Depending on the type, single mode cables can also transmit data up to 10 kilometers (just over six miles) without amplification. Most often, single mode fiber optic cabling is used when data transmission speeds and signal integrity are the most important requirements for the job.

OM3 Multimode Fiber Optic Cables represent a significant portion of the multimode fiber market. Compatible with both OM2 and OM4 cables...