Because thicknet is much more rigid than thinnet, the deployment possibilities are much more limited and the connectors are much more complex. As this usage would imply, optical fiber cable can transmit data over very long distances with little loss in data integrity. In addition, because data is transferred as a pulse of light rather than an electronic pulse, optical fiber is not subject to electromagnetic interference. The light pulses travel through a glass or plastic wire or fiber encased in an insulating sheath. As with thicknet, optical fiber's increased maximum effective distance comes at a price.
Optical fiber is more fragile than wire, difficult to split, and very labor-intensive to install.
For these reasons, optical fiber is used primarily to transmit data over extended distances where the hardware required to relay the data signal on less expensive media would exceed the cost of optical fiber installation. It is also used where very large amounts of data need to be transmitted on a regular basis. Common guided transmission media Unguided Media Unguided media are natural parts of the Earth's environment that can be used as physical paths to carry electrical signals. The atmosphere and outer space are examples of unguided media that are commonly used to carry signals. These media can carry such electromagnetic signals as microwave, infrared light waves, and radio waves.