Advantages of fiber optic cabling

Fiber optic cabling solves these problems and offers users:

High data rate and wide bandwidth
Immunity to EMI/RFI and lightning damage
No ground loops
Low attenuation (data loss)
Longer distance - 2 and 5 km with Multimode fiber or over 25 km with Single Mode fiber
Small cable diameter fits anywhere
Light weight
No sparks if cut
No shock hazard
Secure communications
Low system cost
Longer life expectancy than copper or coaxial cable
Cabling of the future

Disadvantages of Electronic cabling (Twisted Pair (TP), Coax, Twinax)

In designing local networks with traditional cabling, systems users are faced with several major constraints:

Cost
Cabling hassles: weight, routing, size, attenuation, and cross-talk
Distance between terminals and hosts limited to a few meters
Limited topologies
Large diameter cable fills plenums and conduits
Needs to be routed away from power and control cabling