OPTICAL FIBERS vs SATELLITES

Good afternoon everyone. Today I will talk about telecommunications.

Let's start by talking about "means of transmission". What is a means of

transmission?

The transmission medium constitutes the physical medium through which the
sender and receiver can communicate in a data transmission system. We
distinguish two types of mediums: guided and unguided. In both cases the
transmission is carried out by means of electromagnetic waves. Guided means
conduct (guide) the waves through a physical path. An example of this are (the)
optical fibers, which I will discuss next (later or soon). The unguided means
provide a support for the waves to be transmitted, but not directed, for example,
"air or vacuum".

Now I will talk about satellites and optical fibers. I will also make a comparison
of advantages and disadvantages of both. Or I will also compare the advantage
and disadvantages of both.
Satellites
A communications satellite is a radio relay station in orbit above the Earth that
receives, amplifies, and redirects analog and digital signals made at a specific
radio frequency. In this way, the radio station in a city, for example, sends its
signal to the satellite, and the satellite distributes it over its radius of action,
usually thousands of kilometers, without compromising its quality.
There are two classifications of satellites used in transmissions. We have:
 C-Band satellites using frequencies between 3.7 and 4.2 GHz and from
5.9 to 6.4 GHz.
 Ku-band satellites using frequencies between 11 and 12 GHz.
Advantages
Some of the advantages are the following:
 Easy management of the network.
 Service independent of distance.
 Easy reconfiguration and expansion of the network.
 Stability of the operation costs of the network for a long period of time.
 In the event of a failure, the response is usually rapid.
 High quality.
 Easy to expand.
 Data speed: 16Kbps at 155Mbps.
  Unidirectional, bidirectional or multidirectional communication.
 Competitive rates.
 Low cost of equipment, operation and maintenance.
Disadvantages
The main disadvantages of satellites are:
 Satellites serve for a finite time of 10 to 15 years. Once surpassed they
must be replaced by other satellites that cover the service they provide.
This makes the need to have a fleet in continuous regeneration, which is
very expensive.
 Satellite systems have high security deficiencies, as a result of being in a
medium shared by multiple users.
 Commercial and communications satellite systems operate in the Ku and
C band. These are highly sensitive to attenuations due to the effects of
rain, the atmosphere and other environmental elements.

Well, now let's talk about a modern technology: optical fibers, which
revolutionized communications.
Optical fibers
An optical fiber is a thin strand of glass (as thin as a human hair) that is used to
transmit a luminous message. Several of them, wrapped in a plastic sheath,
form a fiber optic cable.
The optical fibers transmit light, carrying the luminous message quickly and
safely over long distances (for example, from a telephone exchange to a
computer) in the form of light pulses. The copper cables, on the other hand,
transmit the signals by means of electrical pulses. To be transmitted by an
optical fiber cable, the signals must first be converted into light signals.
The fiber optic cable is a thin filament of glass that transmits pulsed light rays
rather than electrical frequencies. Because light travels at a much higher
frequency than electrical signals, fiber optic (cables?) can carry information to
millions of bits per second.
They transmit information safely because they are not interfering.
Advantages
The main advantages are:
 Easy to install.
 High speed data transmission.
 Direct connection of plants to companies.
 Great bandwidth.
 Unlimited and continuous access 24 hours a day, without congestion.
 Fiber optic makes it possible to surf the Internet, at a speed of 2 million
bits per second, unthinkable in the conventional system, in which most
users connect to 28,000 or 33,600 bps.
 Video and sound in real time.
 The raw material to make it is abundant in nature.
 Compatibility with digital technology.
 Great security. The intrusion in an optical fiber is easily detectable.
 Resistance to heat, cold and corrosion.

Disadvantages
Finally, among the disadvantages, we have:
 Only people who live in the areas of the city for which the network is
already installed can subscribe. Obviously, the cables are not of infinite
size.
 The cost of installation and connection is high.
 Fragility of fibers. Although they are resistant, they are fragile at the
same time.
 The splices of the cables must be very precise to avoid excessive loss of
signal.
 Difficulty repairing a broken fiber cable. It would have to be replaced.

Thanks for your attention. That is all.