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Difference between
Optical Fiber and
Coaxial Cable
Last Updated : 16 Aug, 2022

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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. Optical Fiber Coaxial Cable

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

HDTV’s Cable TV
Aircraft  signals
Medical field Internet 
Telephone Telephone
connections connections

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R ECO M M E N D E D A RT I C L E S
Page : 1 2 3 4 5 6

01 Difference between Twisted pair

cable, Co-axial cable and Optical
fiber cable
16, Jun 20

02 Difference between Twisted Pair

Cable and Optical Fiber Cable
20, Apr 20

03 Difference between Coaxial Cable

and Twisted Pair Cable
31, Mar 20

04 Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC) Access

Network Management
22, Aug 20

Article Contributed By :

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