The optical fiber is a thin, soft medium that transmits light beams. In the actual optical fiber communication line, in order to ensure that optical fiber can be used for a long time under various playing conditions and in a variety of environments, it must be formed to optical fiber cable, because optical Fiber must be covered by several layers of protective structure before use, the cable that is covered is called optical fiber cable. So optical fiber is the core part of optical fiber cable, optical fiber through some of the components of the protection of the subordinate protective layer constitutes an optical fiber cable.

The protective structure of the outer layer protects the optical fiber from the surrounding environment. Optical fiber cable includes optical fiber, buffer layer, and drape. optical fiber and coaxial cable are similar, but no mesh shield, the center is the glass core of light transmission.

The optical fiber is usually tied into a beam, outside with the shell protection. Fiber Core is usually made of quartz glass that cross-sectional area is a very small double concentric cylinder, it is crisp and easy to break, so need a protective layer. So their difference lies in this.